Resources

Mapping artisanal and small-scale mining to the Sustainable Development Goals

PACT & University of Delaware 2020 English

Pact and the University of Delaware’s Mapping Artisanal and Small-scale Mining to the Sustainable Development Goals (ASM-SDG Policy Assessment) is the first report assessing all positive and negative relationships between artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Integrated Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Ghana

M Wilson, E Renne, C Roncoli, P Agyei-Baffour, E Tenkorang English

This report is one of three synthesis documents produced via an integrated assessment (IA) that aims to increase understanding of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Ghana. Given the complexities surrounding ASGM, an IA framework was utilized to analyze economic, social, health, and environmental data, and co-develop evidence-based responses with pertinent stakeholders.

Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in Migori, Kenya

CIRDI English

The Migori County Artisanal Miners Cooperative Society (MICA), in collaboration with UNESCO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and with support from CIRDI, created this documentary on ASGM in Migori to shed light on this sector and to give Kenyan gold miners a voice.

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.

Fair Trade Seeks a Foothold in Artisanal Gold Mining

Kristin Sippl 2020 English

Changing the status quo in Ghana’s mining sector

Commodity Monitor 2020 English

New Study: Amazon Authorities Can’t Get a Grip on Mercury Trade

Bram Ebus 2020 English

Report from the IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands (IUCN NL) looking into the world of the informal and formal mercury trade. The study was undertaken in three different continents. In the Amazon region, Bolivia, Guyana and Suriname were examined.

Vilma Morales: "Bolivia would be the country of origin of the mercury that reaches Peru" | INTERVIEW

Yvette Sierra Praeli 2020 English

Vilma Morales is a chemical engineer and one of the main mercury experts in Peru. Her work in hazardous waste management has led her to investigate and learn how this heavy metal behaves, causing so much damage to the environment and people's health, especially due to its use in legal and illegal mining.

Bolivia: estudio analiza mecanismos del comercio ilegal de mercurio

Yvette Sierra Praeli 2020 Spanish

En el 2015, Bolivia importó 152 toneladas de mercurio, 12 veces más de lo adquirido el año anterior, un incremento que se dio cuando el Perú impuso restricciones al comercio y uso de este metal pesado directamente ligado a la extracción de oro.

Opening the black box: Local insights into the formal and informal global mercury trade revealed

IUCN 2020 English

A combination of factors is driving the continued use of mercury, including the lucrativeness of the trade, the informality of the ASGM sector, the poverty of many miners and the power imbalance between many traders and miners. Mercury governance within the investigated countries has potential for improvement. To tackle the mercury problem, action should be taken that addresses the problem from all angles and takes all key stakeholders into account. The  report is a compilation of findings from investigations that IUCN NL’s local partner organisations carried out. More detailed findings for each country can be found in the respective country/regional report.