Illegal gold-mining operations in the Amazon have turned portions of the landscape there into a ‘moon-like’ wasteland according to video uploaded by Peruvian Journalist Güido Lombardi.

This video was shot from a wingcam mounted on an airplane owned by Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO) while gathering data for a study of Peru’s rainforest.

Research suggests that more than 50,000 hectares have been affected by gold mining in just the southern part of the department of Madre do Dios.