"The Golden Rules"

In Ecuador, where artisanal and small-scale mining represents an important part of gold production and direct employment for communities, the COVID-19 health emergency has significantly impacted the economic well-being of families — especially at the base tier, or artisanal miners, who depend almost exclusively on the sector for subsistence.

In this context and in view of the relaxation of containment measures that are beginning to be applied in the mining sector, planetGOLD's partner project in Ecuador, the National Program for the Environmentally Sound Management of Chemicals in their Life Cycle, implemented by the Environment and Water Portfolio, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), planetGOLD and the Institute for Geological Energy Research (IIGE, in its Spanish acronym), seeks to support response efforts and protect vulnerable communities.

The program has developed a series of videos titled "Las Reglas de Oro" — or "The Golden Rules" — aimed at providing miners with practical advice for protecting themselves and others against the spread of COVID-19. Through this material the program seeks, in a simple and practical way, to make known the considerations that must be taken into account before, during and at the end of this productive activity, which is significant for the country's economy.

There is a total of 7 videos in the series, which have been distributed on WhatsApp and social media. There is also a set of posters offering the same advice, safety measures and information in printed format.

All 7 videos and posters are available to view and download here.