In a central province of Vietnam people have been busy sifting for tin ore, ignoring the personal and environmental consequences.

Even during the freezing weather of this winter, with temperatures dropping to under 10 degrees Celsius, locals in Quy Hop district in Nghe An Province seem not to care. They go ahead with these destructive practices.

People come to take as much metal ore from the earth as they can find, in hopes of earning money to cover their families’ living expenses and maybe a little extra for Tet.

Most of them come from Chau Cuong, Chau Hong and Chau Tien communes in Quy Hop district. Some of them even take their children along.

Besides individual sifters, some organised groups have joined in illegally exploiting these natural resources. Their activities have resulted in the destruction of many streams and have other adverse environmental impacts.

Some images of tin ore exploitation:

Empty hamlet, residents out looking for tin

Mountain faces are decimated

Sifting instead of class today

Children join in the work

A local navigates dangerous territory for a bit of ore

Ore waste is thrown into the streams

A man sells bread to sifters

Some areas upstream from Nam Hang have been destroyed

Sifting can ruin a mountain

Sifting muddies the rivers, changing the ecosystem

A very polluted river