March 22, Swedish government gave green light to British company Beowulf Mining to proceed with plans for an iron ore mine in Gallok, Sami territory in northern Sweden. Indigenous Sami have protested the project for nearly a decade.
The mining project with a planned open cast mine covering 100 hectares is threatening reindeer grazing grounds as well as the world heritage site #Laponia. It will cause permanent wounds in the landscape for a planned life span of just 14 years.
It has been massively criticized not just by the Sami villages and Sami parliament, but by environmental organisations, scientists, the Church of Sweden, regional authorities and UNESCO among others. reuters.com/world/sweden-g…
This decision, which prioritize corporate profit over indigenous rights and rights of nature, comes months before the UN conference on sustainable development, #Sthlm50.
Photo: @Fridays4future@saminuorra