Mining Operations

Gravel and sand mining in and around Bogotá, especially in Ciudad Bolívar and nearby rural areas, is not only a local land-use concern but also a source of significant ecological and social issues. A 25.8-hectare open-pit gravel concession in San Francisco de Sales, valid until 2037, is located within a forested highland corridor that connects to Andean páramo ecosystems. (Wilson,2023) This mining process involves removing topsoil, cutting down forests, and disrupting drainage, which harms springs and streams vital for local water supply. (Bilbao,2020; Wilson,2023)

Residents in Ciudad Bolívar and surrounding areas rely on these springs. Mining jeopardises their water security and health by increasing noise, dust, and heavy vehicle traffic. (Wilson,2023) The escarpment is home to important wildlife, including endangered birds, armadillos, and small wild cats, which risk losing their habitat. (Wilson,2023) Local groups such as Gualivá sin Minería have organised community resistance by challenging the legitimacy of mining licenses and fight to protect both water sources and forests. (Wilson,2023) This conflict reflects a larger pattern of social-environmental struggles in the outskirts of Bogotá.

In areas like Usme, near Ciudad Bolívar, long-term residents, many of whom settled without formal permission, have resisted urban expansion and extraction activities to defend their independence and green spaces. (Salcedo, 2013) Their activism shows how the urban-rural border of Bogotá interacts with delicate páramo systems, highlighting threats to essential water ecosystems. (Salcedo, 2013) Moreover, participatory research in northern Bogotá, particularly in Usaquén, reveals environmental conflicts caused by sand quarry operations within the city. (Guzmán et al., 2024) Through community workshops, mapping, and interviews, local residents, including young people, documented problems like landscape degradation, loss of green spaces, erosion, and respiratory health effects. (Guzmán et al., 2024) The study stressed that decision-making needs to include local input and tackle unequal power dynamics. (Guzmán et al., 2024)

The environmental risks go beyond local neighbourhoods and affect páramo ecosystems, which play a crucial role in regulating water for Bogotá and neighbouring communities. (Kraul, 2022) Disrupting these high-altitude wetlands, even through small gravel operations, can impair their ability to store and release water, threatening the supply for millions. (Bilbao,2020; Kraul,2022) Legally, the situation is complex. Despite the environmental sensitivity of the area, mining concessions in the Bogotá region continue to be issued. This pattern highlights deeper tensions in Colombia’s mining regulations between extractive development and the protection of ecosystems. (Richer and La Flèche, 2022); Wilson, 2023)

Bibliography:

Bilbao, A. (2019) ‘Mining Colombian contemporary art: histories, scales and techniques of gold extraction’, Burlington Contemporary Journal, May. Available at: https://contemporary.burlington.org.uk/journal/journal/mining-colombian-contemporary-art-histories-scales-and-techniques-of-gold-extraction (Accessed: 20 November 2025).

Guzmán, A. H., Hernández Guzmán, D., Milanés, C. B., Ramírez, O., Herrera Tapias, B., Pérez Montero, O., Gutiérrez Reyes, A., & Zielinski, S. (2024) ‘Community-Based Participatory Research on Urban Environmental Conflicts: Sand Quarries in Northern Bogotá’, Land, 13(9), article 1460. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/land1309140 (Accessed: 20 November 2025).

Kraul, C. (2014) ‘Mining showdown in Andes over unique páramo lands’, Yale Environment 360. Available at: https://e360.yale.edu/features/mining_showdown_in_andes_over_unique_paramo_lands (Accessed: 20 November 2025).

Richer, E. and La Flèche (2022) 'Mining law review.' London: HKLaw. Available at: https://www.hklaw.com/files/Uploads/Documents/Articles/Colombia-Mining.pdf (Accessed: 20 November 2025).

Salcedo, A. (2013) ‘Resisting the city’, Resilience.org. Available at: https://www.resilience.org/stories/2013-08-22/resisting-the-city/ (Accessed: 20 November 2025).

Wilson, R. (2023) ‘Colombia: open‑pit mine threatens municipalities near Bogotá’, Latin America Bureau. Available at: https://lab.org.uk/colombia-open-pit-mine-threatens-municipalities-near-bogota/ (Accessed: 20 November 2025).