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The inside of a mine in Goslar, Germany
Image: Niels Poulsen/imageBROKER/picture alliance

Mining and minerals

Extracting minerals can bring a range of benefits but mines can also provoke conflict and harm people and the environment.

Skip next section All Content on this topic

All Content on this topic

Workers mine a new long wall of a coal mine

Serbian mine disaster results in 8 dead

At least 8 people have died and as many as 20 more injured as a mine shaft collapsed following a reported gas explosion.
CatastropheApril 1, 2022
Deutschland | Braunkohlekraftwerk Weisweiler der RWE Power

German court will let RWE expand coal mine

Activists have vowed to block the mine's expansion by occupying houses and forestland on the site.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 28, 2022
A bauxite mine in Guinea

Guinea: Military junta stokes nerves of mining sector

The military junta's unyielding approach toward a major iron ore project could be doing more harm than good.
BusinessMarch 23, 2022
Picture of reindeer from above in Jokkmokk, Sweden.

Sweden gives green light to controversial iron mine

Activists and Indigenous people slam the project as "anti-nature" and say it will disturb traditional reindeer herding.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 22, 2022
Hammelburg | Close-Up einer Butterfly-Mine - Sicherheitskurs für Krisengebiete

Is Russia using butterfly mines in Ukraine?

Russia is accused of using internationally banned anti-personnel mines in the Ukraine war. Is there evidence for this?
PoliticsMarch 15, 2022
The boundary between the Xingu National Park and farmed land which surrounds the reserve is seen at the Xingu Indigenous Park in Brazil

Brazil: Bolsonaro seeks to increase extraction in Amazon

The Brazilian president wants to pave the way for further exploitation of protected lands.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 2, 2022
Mexican Army soldiers demonstrate a search for anti-personnel mines

Mexico: Soldiers to remove land mines planted by cartels

Special units from the Mexican army have taken control of security in a town in the western Mexican state of Michoacan.
CrimeFebruary 19, 2022
German, Ukrainian flags

Business as usual for German firms in Ukraine?

Despite the perceived threat of Russia attacking Ukraine, German firms continue to operate normally in the country.
BusinessFebruary 17, 202203:25 min
An aerial view of reindeer herding in Jokkmokk, Sweden, site of a proposed iron ore mine

UN experts call for Sweden to scrap iron ore mine

UN rights experts said a proposed mine could create toxic waste on land used by Sweden's indigenous Sami people.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 10, 2022
Sopokomil, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Indonesian villagers fear Chinese dam project

Residents in a North Sumatra village warn that a proposed wastewater dam is at risk of collapse due to reckless design.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 9, 202202:34 min
Turow power station and open-pit coal mine continue its usual operations as Poland is ordered to pay fines

EU to withhold Poland funds over coal mine dispute

The European Commission says it will take the unprecedented measure over Warsaw's refusal to close a coal mine.
Rule of LawFebruary 8, 2022
Smoke rises from chimneys of the Turow power plant

Polish, Czech governments sign deal on contested mine

Warsaw and Prague have reached an agreement to end a bitter battle over the Turow coal mine.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 4, 2022
Untreated phosphate being dropped off a conveyor belt at a factory

Morocco's phosphates cache eases Africa's food crisis

Morocco's exports of phosphate — used in fertilizer — are credited with helping to cut hunger in other African nations.
TradeFebruary 2, 2022
Serbian protesters

Serbia scraps plans for lithium mine

The country's populist leadership caved to pressure from activists after weeks of protest and road blockades.
BusinessJanuary 24, 202201:25 min
Miners look for gold on November 2, 2012 in Ghana. Symbolic image of a gold mine in Ghana for illustration, not connected to this story.

Explosion kills several people in Ghana

A mining truck collided with a motorcycle setting off an explosion that razed hundreds of nearby buildings.
CatastropheJanuary 20, 2022
Anti-mining protesters in Belgrade

Serbia cancels plan for lithium mine

Following weeks of major protests, the Serbian government has put an end to a planned lithium mine in Serbia.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 20, 2022
The Turow mine is located in southwest Poland in Bogatynia

EU to withhold Polish funds over Turow coal mine

The European Commission is punishing Poland after Warsaw ignored a court order regarding the Turow coal mine.
ConflictsJanuary 19, 2022
Environmental demonstrators block a highway during a protest in Belgrade

Serbia: Activists block roads to protest lithium mine

Traffic came to a standstill on major roads as activists demanded the scrapping of a planned lithium mine.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 15, 2022
A Buddhist monk sits praying before an alter

Buddhist monks fight to protect mountain home

A cave monastery facing eviction by a Malaysian cement company may be the last hope for a unique karst ecosystem.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 14, 2022
Loose stones rest on a broken path that was destroyed during Germany's flooding disaster in July 2021

German police carry out raids in connection with floods

The raids focused on the operators of an open-cast mine that collapsed during last summer's catastrophic floods.
CrimeJanuary 11, 2022
DW's Eco Africa

Eco Africa — The Environment Magazine

Using plastic bricks to make houses in Ghana and sharing tools with neighbors to save precious resources.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 30, 202126:01 min
Eco Africa - Gold mining in Mozambique

Illegal gold mining in Mozambique

In Chimanimani National Park, illegal gold mining is taking a toll on nature. Can legalization and cooperatives help?
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 30, 202107:15 min
Eco Africa - Tech waste from computers

Urban mining in South Africa

E-waste is full of useful and precious metals. Could African countries mine these materials to generate jobs?
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 30, 202103:47 min
A South Sudanese worker holds a speck of gold in Nanakanak in Greater Kapoeta, Eastern Equatoria state, South Sudan

Gold mine collapse in Sudan kills dozens

Sudanese mining officials said that they had shut down the mine for safety concerns before it reopened.
CatastropheDecember 28, 2021
Rescuers prepare to search for missing miners at jade mine in Hpakant, Kachin state. (Photo by STR / AFP)

Dozens missing after Myanmar mine landslide

Around 200 rescuers are involved in the search for victims. Deaths are common in the region's poorly regulated mines.
CatastropheDecember 22, 2021
The Hirska coal mine, located in the city of Hirkse, Luhansk oblast.

Toxic waters: How not to phase out coal

In war-torn Ukraine, shuttered mines in the Donbas region threaten to unleash an ecological disaster.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 21, 2021
In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, rescuers work at the site of a flooded coal mine in Xiaoyi city in northwestern China's Shanxi Province

China: Rescuers work to free trapped coal miners

Miners are trapped underground after an illegal Chinese coal mine flooded.
CatastropheDecember 17, 2021
Arched candle holder

Visiting the heartland of arched candle holders

Germany's Erzgebirge region is known for its many decorative arts. Arched candle holders have a special place.
BusinessDecember 13, 2021
Gold miner holds mercury which will be used to extract gold

Mercury mining makes a comeback in Kyrgyzstan

Mercury poses serious health risks. Yet despite pressure to ban its trade, Kyrgyzstan is ramping up production.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 6, 2021
Trucks with rare earth at the Port of Lianyungang in China

Climate policies need to focus on raw materials

EU institutions are trying to reverse underinvestment in raw materials, but issues remain.
BusinessNovember 29, 2021
Serbia | Protests in Belgrade

Serbia: Protesters block roads over new mining laws

Scuffles broke out in Belgrade and Novi Sad, while organizers said several activists were detained in the northern city.
PoliticsNovember 27, 2021
Russian Emergencies Ministry employees work at the fire site at the Listvyazhnaya coal mine in the town of Belovo in the Kuznetsk Coal Basin in Kemerovo Region, southwestern Siberia

Siberia mine accident: Rescuer found alive

After expecting no more survivors after a devastating fire at a coal mine in Siberia — one more person was found alive.
CatastropheNovember 26, 2021
Rescue vehicles gathered at the Listvyazhnaya mine

Over 50 people die in Siberian mine accident

At least 52 people have died following an apparent fire at a Russian coal mine. Members of a rescue team also perished.
CatastropheNovember 25, 2021
Workers digging for gold

Chinese mines in DRC raise eyebrows

China operates some of the gold mines in the DRC, but the locals complain about poor working conditions.
BusinessNovember 23, 202101:49 min
DW Global Ideas Webspecial "Kreislaufwirtschaft" Kategorie Elektronik

Electronics and the circular economy

The number of electronic devices in the world is increasing rapidly, but little is currently recycled.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 22, 2021
Mine workers clearing debris aboveground

Is Bulgaria ready to give up coal?

Bulgaria has finally committed to giving up coal. But is it ready for what comes next?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 10, 2021
DW Sendung Eco Afrika | Norwegen Mineralien

The search for raw materials in northern Europe

To be less dependent on China, the European Union is looking to find critical raw materials on its own territory.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 30, 202104:33 min
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Up in the mountains

Persian leopards, Carrara's marble and Greek cultural heritage
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 21, 202129:59 min
Living Planet 210318 Podcast Picture Teaser

Indigenous forest loss, lithium mining & industrial fishing

Around the world, local people fight to maintain their way of life and habitats.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 15, 202129:59 min
A Baka mother carries her child through the forest in the Congo basin

Baka people in Cameroon under threat from logging and mining

Logging and mining projects are encroaching on their forests and threatening the way of life of the Baka people.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 14, 202108:36 min
USA Nevada | Proteste | Lithium-Mine

Lithium mining stirs controversy at Thacker Pass

A proposed lithium mine in the US could help green technology — but Indigenous groups say it infringes on their land.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 14, 202108:36 min
A coal stockpile in Indonesia

With coal crunch, Asia faces a cold winter

China and India are struggling to obtain enough coal to get through the winter and power their pandemic recoveries.
BusinessOctober 13, 2021
DW Eco Africa-Sendung 08.10.2021

Sustainable gold mining in Ghana

In Ghana, Africa's largest gold producer, one organization is training small-scale miners to extract gold sustainably.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 8, 202104:44 min
Cranes stand at construction sites at the Xiong'an New Area

Building: What's the big deal for the environment?

The world's cities are growing rapidly. How does all that construction affect the planet?
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 6, 2021
Climate activists protest against the Garzweiler open-cast coal mine with a sign reading "defend Luetzerath" in Luetzerath, western Germany, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021

Germany: Activists' sit-in to stop coal mine expansion

Climate activists argue that Germany cannot meet its emission goals unless it stops extracting and burning coal sooner.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 1, 2021
Different components of a Fairphone

Is it possible to make an eco-friendly smartphone?

As Fairphone announces its latest offering, DW asks whether it's possible to make a no-impact cellphone.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 30, 2021
Military coup leader Mamady Doumbouya

Guinea's coup leaders try to keep investors happy

The new military junta have unveiled a "transitional charter" in an effort to build trust with donors and investors.
BusinessSeptember 29, 2021
Turow coal mine cooling tower

Is Poland's Turow power plant doomed?

The EU has demanded Warsaw pay a daily fine of €500,000 after it declined to shut down a coal mine. What happens now?
BusinessSeptember 28, 2021
DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

Inside Europe 23.09.2021

Geopolitical realignment: AUKUS and the fallout from France’s nuclear snub-marine - A neighbourly dispute along the Czech /Polish border - Will relatives of the victims of Malaysian Airways Flight 17 finally find closure? - An unlikely ally mourns the end of the Merkel era - A tall tale from the Netherlands - British comedy actor granted honorary citizenship in Serbia - and more
PoliticsSeptember 23, 202154:59 min
The open-cast lignite mine in Turow

Poland PM defiant after EU imposes fine over coal mine

The EU's Court of Justice has ordered Poland to pay a daily fine of €500,000 for keeping a mine open.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 21, 2021