In partnership with Brazil’s National Mining Agency (ANM) and Fundação Estadual de Meio Ambiente (FEAM), the IGF delivered a six-day technical assistance activity in Minas Gerais to support government efforts to assess and prioritize risks at abandoned mine sites in Brazil.
The activity combined field-based learning with practical risk assessment work. Over four days, members of the IGF, ANM, and FEAM conducted site visits to eight abandoned/inactive mine sites across Minas Gerais. The program also included a meeting at FEAM’s offices in Belo Horizonte, where participants discussed the state’s environmental licensing system with the president of the organization, Dr. Edson de Resende Castro.
Following the site visits, ANM staff and IGF experts completed risk assessments for five of the sites. The IGF is preparing a technical report that outlines the major risks identified and recommends priority actions to address them in the short term. The report will support state authorities in reducing risks to the environment and neighboring communities.
The final report is expected to be delivered by the end of January 2026.