Modern mining is an industry that causes significant environmental damages. Given its importance for the economy of countries around the world, it is common that mining companies disregard or seek to hide the effects of mining on local populations.

Mexico is among the largest mineral producers of the world. It is the largest silver producer and the second largest mercury producer, though it is among the top ten producer for almost any mineral.

The following map, shows areas were mining activity happens in Mexico:

The following map displays mining activity in Mexico .This data was acquired by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics andGeography (INEGI) and it is publicly available on the institution’s website in the form of shape files. Mining activity is present in most of Mexico’s territory with the clear exception of the south-east, particularly the states in the Yucatán Peninsula, were there is a large presence of Mayans. However, the extraction of silver seems to overlap areas that have been describes as marginalized, particularly in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero.

Mining activity also produces different levels of pollution. Gold mining is considered to be highly pollutant as it often is extracted with mercury.  This type of mining is common along the Pacific cost of the Mexican territory in the north and south. While silver mines are more common inland, in north and central Mexico, and the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca: