Resources

Mercury emissions from Peruvian gold shops: Potential ramifications for Minamata compliance in artisanal and small-scale gold mining communities

Keegan H. Moody; Kazi M. Hasan; Sumeja Aljic; Victoria M. Blakeman; L. Perry Hicks; Danielle C. Loving; Matthew E. Moore; B. Spencer Hammett; Mónica Silva-González; Caryn S. Seney; and Adam M. Kiefer 2019 English

Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury has led to the establishment of Peruvian regulations limiting mercury concentrations in air to 2000 ng/m3 over a 24-hr measurement period. As a result, three communities in Madre de Dios, Peru were mapped during October 2017 to determine Hg⁰ vapor concentrations in the air.

Thoughts on How to do Gender Inclusion Right in ASM.

Olivia Lyster 2020 English

Women play a critical role in the ASM sector. Women were estimated in 2003 to make up 30% of the ASM workforce globally. Today it may be much higher – estimates from some countries reach 50% on average, and higher in some mineral categories (e.g. salt mining in Uganda). Despite this, women experience a number of gendered barriers to full participation in ASM. 

USAID: Sector Environmental Guideline (SEG): ASM

Battelle and The Cadmus Group, Inc. USAID 2017 English

These guidelines are designed for project managers, project implementers, practitioners, or others working on development or environmental management projects that could impact ASM projects or communities that engage in ASM.  This document addresses: (1) impact of development projects on ASM; (2) impacts of ASM on the environment, health, and socio-political systems; (3) best practices on mitigation measures for minimizing impacts of ASM; (4) impact of climate change on ASM; and (5) impact of ASM on climate change. 

Artisanal Gold Communities as Prime COVID-19 Intervention Targets: Supply Chain Reform, Health In Gold Out

Shawn Blore, Marieke Kroll, Kevin Telmer 2020 English

In this paper, the AGC announces its three signal interventions for dealing with the crisis in ASGM communities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic: (i) Supply Chain Reform Project – a project to restart and reform artisanal gold supply chains; (ii) Health In Gold Out – a project to deliver health assistance via this gold stakeholder network; and (iii) Artisanal Gold Prices Database – a project to monitor these interventions via a worldwide database of artisanal gold prices.

World emissions of mercury from artisanal and small scale gold mining and the knowledge gaps about them

Kevin H. Telmer and Marcello M. Veiga 2008 English

The authors estimate mercury releases from artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM) based on available data about mercury and gold exports and imports by country and from field reports from the countries known to have active ASGM communities.

Baseline Information for the National Action Plan on Artisanal and Small - Scale Gold Mining: Ghana

Friends of the Nation 2017 English

Pulling at golden webs: Combating criminal consortia in the African artisanal and small-scale gold mining and trade sector

Marcena Hunter English

This report seeks to unpack how criminal consortia manipulate ASGM and associated gold flows to secure illicit rents and capture the sector. The findings highlight the need for nuance, especially regarding the role of informal and traditional actors in the sector. Through a more holistic understanding of the challenge, policymakers will better be able to identify and combat criminal consortia in ASGM.

Case Study: Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in Madre de Dios, Peru

USAID English

While the ASGM sector is present across Peru, the department of Madre de Dios is the epicenter of illicit alluvial gold extraction and the accompanying deforestation. This case study examines the complex drivers behind ASGM sector expansion, the devastating impacts on biodiversity in the region, and the strategies implemented to address the impacts of ASGM in Madre de Dios by the Government of Peru.

planetGOLD programme infographic

UNEP 2019 English

This infographic features a visual summary of the key facts and figures about ASGM. It provides answers to questions such as: Why is it hard to formalize the sector; Why is mercury used in ASGM; How does the Minamata Convention safeguard the ASGM sector? Key strategies through which the planetGOLD programme is transforming the sector are also presented. 

Going for gold in a new partnership: Building a foundation for better gold mining in Uganda

Fairphone English

By combining their expertise in the areas of preventing child labor, improving working conditions and providing a clear path to market, Fairphone aims to work with ASM in Uganda to establish a sustainable, traceable gold supply chain that creates a better future for miners and their families.