Namibia's mining sector has historically driven the country's economy; however, its legacy is also marked by the scars of more than 250 abandoned and unrehabilitated mine sites that still pose environmental and public health threats today. From the copper pits of Klein Aub to the vanadium-rich tailings of Berg Aukas, a new generation of scientific research is revealing the scale and danger of these overlooked sites. Studies now confirm what was long suspected: heavy metals such as lead, copper, arsenic, and zinc are leaching into water supplies, accumulating in dust, and posing a threat to rural communities living near these mines. A 2020 study by Alex Uugwanga and Peter Kgabi collected 58 samples across Klein Aub and Oamites between 2018 and 2019. The results revealed geo-accumulation indexes for copper topping 40 at Klein Aub - levels far beyond natural occurrence. The capped tailings at Oamites were also found to leach metals downstream. These findings underscore how even partially rehabilitated sites can continue to pollute. More alarming still are the findings from a 2025 paper published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which examined fugitive dust particles under 10 microns from tailings dumps at Oamites and the former Namib Lead-Zinc mine. Concentrations reached 8,880 mg/kg for lead and 134 mg/kg for arsenic.