2013 Lanjigarh bauxite project, Orissa, India The Dongria Kondh Indigenous people won their campaign to stop proposed mining project, jeopardising billions of dollars of investment in existing refineries. Picture shows members of the Dongria Kondh tribe gathering to protest against the project on top of the Niyamgiri mountain, which they worship as their living god. Photograph: Biswaranjan Rout

2013 Pascua Lama copper project, Chile A decade of protests over threats to glaciers has beset Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp's $8.5bn project and contributed to their decision to shelve the project during construction. During the protests, Barrick Gold Corp - the world's biggest gold miner - met with Chilean officials to try and salvage the gold and copper project in which it invested more than $5bn. Picture shows Aurora Williams, Chile's mining minister. Photograph: Reuters

2011 Minas Conga copper and gold project, PeruConstruction of the mine was suspended in November 2011 following region-wide protests over water security, risking US$2bn of capital expenditure. A final decision will be made about the future of the project in 2015. Picture shows farmers in Cajamarca, northern Peru, who came out in force to protest against the Conga mining project. Photograph: Paolo Aguilar/ EPA

2010 Bickham Coal Project, Hunter Valley, New South WalesResidents and local horse breeders united to put a halt to an open-cut coal-mine proposal in Hunter Valley. They successfully argued that the risk of water contamination was too great, that the mine would harm the rural environment and that it would endanger New South Wales' thoroughbred industry, which is currently worth $2.4bn a year. Picture shows coal loading operations in the Hunter Valley. Photograph: Ho New/Reuters

2006 Esquel gold project, ArgentinaFacing public opposition to the use of cyanide in the mining process, the owners Yamana Gold (formerly Meridian Gold), were forced to write down $379m in assets and forgo $1.33bn in reserves. Photograph shows gold in the rocks in Esquel. Photograph: flickr/Luchiano Prata