According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, in Peru’s Madre de Dios region, where over 90% of gold is illegally extracted, mining towns like Delta 1 and La Rinconada have become hubs for sex trafficking, where girls as young as 12 are forced into prostitution. Delta 1 alone houses approximately 2,000 sex workers, 60% of whom are minors. Weak enforcement, corruption, and the region’s economic dependence on mining perpetuate this abuse.
The Environmental Crimes Financial Toolkit is developed by WWF and Themis, supported by the Climate Solutions Partnership, a collaboration between HSBC, World Resources Institute and WWF.
