The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector in Côte d'Ivoire has been steadily growing for the past 20 years, with the number of miners increasing 20-fold over the period. At the same time, mercury use in the sector contributes to contamination of the environment, including fish, posing significant health concerns for local people.
ASGM represents an alternative source of income for a significant proportion of the local population, particularly during lean periods caused by long dry seasons and natural disasters. This mining activity occurs in 24 of Côte d'Ivoire's 31 regions, employing more than 500,000 people, where almost 300,000 operate in the north of the country.
As of 2020, a total of 38 artisanal mining licenses were in operation for gold extraction. However, there is an abundance of ASGM sites operating informally. Over 85% of the workforce at these sites is made up of young people. Many artisanal mining operators originated from neighboring countries such as Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Côte d'Ivoire produced more than 30 tonnes of gold in 2020, including from large-scale mines. Almost 10 tonnes of mercury are used every year to produce 7 tonnes of ASGM gold. Field studies have confirmed the presence of worst practices in the ASGM sector, such as whole ore amalgamation, open burning of amalgam, burning of amalgam in residential areas, and cyanidation of mercury containing tailings.
The government has committed to reducing mercury and promoting responsible, legal ASGM operations, including the launch of an initiative to help miners formalize their work through vocational training on existing informal mining sites.
Key Figures from Côte d'Ivoire
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500,000+ miners from Côte d'Ivoire's neighbouring countries work in the sector
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10 tonnes of mercury are released by ASGM annually
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7 tonnes of gold produced by ASGM every year
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38 artisanal mining authorizations were signed for ASGM in 2020
Côte d'Ivoire's Approach
The planetGOLD Côte d'Ivoire project aims at reducing the use of mercury in the ASGM sector through a holistic, multi-sectoral and integrated formalization approach. The project also aims to improve access to traceable gold supply chains and financing for the adoption of sustainable, effective and practical mercury-free technologies.
The planetGOLD Côte d'Ivoire project plans to directly support about 4,000 artisanal gold miners and to indirectly support 20,000 people in the country's four major ASGM areas, with a target of reducing mercury use by 4.5 tonnes over the course of the five-year project.
Key Strategies
Optimize formalization of | 
Promote financial inclusion and |
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Share knowledge and support |
Media Gallery
Resources
MAGAZINE SPECIAL - WOMEN IN ARTISANAL GOLD MINING
Franck Ory French
Le magazine Woman in Artisanal Gold Mining met en lumière les femmes qui transforment le secteur de l’exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle de l’or (EMAPE) en Côte d’Ivoire.
Fruit d’une mission de terrain conduite par le projet planetGOLD Côte d’Ivoire, ce numéro spécial valorise le leadership féminin, l’autonomisation économique et l’inclusion sociale des femmes artisanes, dirigeantes de coopératives et actrices institutionnelles.
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FORMALISATION DU SECTEUR DE L’ EMAPE : REVUE ET ANALYSE DU CADRE LÉGAL ET RÈGLEMENTAIRE DE LA CÔTE D’IVOIRE
planetGOLD Côte d'Ivoire French
Le document présente une analyse exhaustive du cadre légal et réglementaire de la formalisation des Exploitations Minières Artisanales et à Petite Échelle (EMAPE) en Côte d'Ivoire. Cette étude examine les textes légaux nationaux et internationaux encadrant l’activité minière artisanale, en mettant en évidence les insuffisances du cadre juridique actuel. Elle explore des obstacles juridiques et sociologiques à la formalisation, comme les lourdeurs administratives et les difficultés de traçabilité de l’or. L’étude propose des recommandations pour améliorer la réglementation, professionnaliser les acteurs du secteur et renforcer les capacités
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National Action Plan - Cote d’Ivoire
Ministère de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable (MINEDD) French
Plan d'Action National (PAN) pour le secteur de l’Extraction Minière Artisanale et Petite Échelle de l’or (EMAPE) de l’or en Côte d’Ivoire.
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Other planetGOLD countries
planetGOLD project sites in Côte d'Ivoire