Does formalizing artisanal gold mining mitigate environmental impacts? Deforestation evidence from the Peruvian Amazon

This study examines patterns of mining-related deforestation associated with formalization efforts in a gold-rich region of the Peruvian Amazon. It found that responses to formalization varied with changing context and while formalization may curb mining in some circumstances, it may exacerbate it in others. Without adequate enforcement, interagency coordination, and attention to competing land claims, formalizing ASM may accelerate ecological destruction.