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At least 62 mining concessions are located within 18 Indigenous territories in Nicaragua. According to the Fundación del Río, this mining activity threatens rivers and could cause “potentially irreversible” damage to ecosystems and human health.
The total area under concession within Indigenous territories covers 681,574 hectares. According to the Atlas of Mining Concessions in the Indigenous and Afro-descendant Territories of Nicaragua, this area contains 163 rivers, 80 streams, and 1,894 kilometers (1,177 miles) of waterways.
“Mining threatens not only the land surface, but also the water sources that sustain ecosystems, community production, fishing, agriculture, transportation, food security, and the health of local communities,” the report states. It was prepared by Fundacion del Rio, Red Local, Fundación Sin Limites, and a coalition of Indigenous organizations.
In territories “where water is a central part of collective life, the degradation of rivers and streams poses cumulative and potentially irreversible environmental risks, while also seriously endangering the health of people exposed to contaminants,” the report continues.
Mining Concessions in Indigenous Territories
Among the Indigenous territories most affected by mining concessions is Tuahka Takaln Balna, in Nicaragua’s North Caribbean region. There, 54,556 hectares have been granted in 13 mining concessions. According to Fundación del Río, the concessioned area represents 88.64% of the territory.
In the Tasba Pri Matriz Indigena territory, also in the North Caribbean, 79,897 hectares have been granted in seven concession blocks, covering 83.77% of the territory.
Likewise, in the Mayangna Sauni Arungka “Matunbak” territory, 48,723 hectares have been concessioned across 11 blocks, representing 63.79% of the territory.
In the country’s central region, 56.37% of the Chorotega–Norte territory and 50.05% of the Matagalpa territory are included within mining concessions.
“These percentages reflect not only an administrative occupation of the land, but also represent a structural threat to the territorial, cultural, and environmental continuity of Indigenous peoples,” the report states.
Twenty-Five Percent of Nicaragua Is Under Mining Concession
Environmentalist and Fundación del Río director Amaru Ruiz explained that the mining concessions in Indigenous territories belong to companies with Chinese, Canadian, Colombian, and Nicaraguan capital. Overall, however, 25% of Nicaragua’s territory—approximately 32,000 square kilometers (12,355 square miles)—has already been granted in mining concessions.
According to the government’s budget framework, the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo plans to expand these concessions until they cover 40% of the country’s territory.
Mining operations in Indigenous territories “leave very few benefits for the local population,” the environmentalist warned. Some companies build schools, improve a few roads, and provide equipment and supplies for baseball teams, but “there has been no redistribution of the wealth extracted from these areas,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz also emphasized that “we have identified serious concerns and risks regarding impacts on the surface water network.” Water resources “are directly tied to the well-being and development of communities… and mining activities have historically been among the greatest sources of contamination,” he added.
