
Resources
The planetGOLD Knowledge Repository
48 items found
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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.
Countries:
Topics:
- Biodiversity/ Environmental Rehabilitation
- Conflict Areas
- Cyanide/ Mercury
- Development
- Due Diligence Resources
- Due Diligence/Responsible Gold
- Due Diligence/ Supply Chains
- Environmental Impact
- Governance
- Health/Safety
- Human Rights/ Vulnerable Populations
- Income/Livelihood
- Indigenous Peoples
- Legal Framework
- Mercury Reduction/ Mercury Trade
- Microfinance/ Socially Responsible Investing
- Mining Laws and Policies
- Minamata Convention/National Action Plan
- Sustainable Development Goals
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Understanding the use and trade of toxic chemicals in artisanal gold mining: The case of Burkina Faso
Poorva Karkare, ECPDM English
This note shines light on the use and trade of toxic chemicals in ASGM in Burkina Faso. It argues that interventions to reduce the use of mercury in ASGM operations need to be designed keeping in mind the complexity of the sector, including the actors involved and the fluid arrangements that they strike to win gold. In fact, mercury and gold trade are closely interlinked. Moreover, mercury has become an integral part in the pre-financing arrangements, a dominant form of funding operations in return for gold. These networks of pre-financiers are involved in the smuggling of gold to avoid paying taxes.
Knowledge Areas:
Countries:
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Phasing Out Mercury? Ecological Economics and Indonesia's Small-Scale Gold Mining Sector
Samuel J. Spiegel, Sumali Agrawal , Dino Mikha , Kartie Vitamerry , Philippe Le Billon , Marcello Veiga , Kulansi Konolius, Bardolf Paul English
This article discusses implications of domestic cinnabar mining for controlling mercury in Indonesia's ASGM sector, highlighting obstacles to implementing the Minamata Convention, a treaty that aims to restrict mercury use. We link discussion of mercury mining to other socioeconomic processes, labour relations and power dynamics shaping mercury use in gold mining and hindering collectivised mercury-free technology uptake.
Knowledge Areas:
Countries:
Topics:
- Biodiversity/ Environmental Rehabilitation
- Cyanide/ Mercury
- Due Diligence Resources
- Due Diligence/Responsible Gold
- Due Diligence/ Supply Chains
- Environmental Impact
- Health/Safety
- Income/Livelihood
- Mercury Reduction/ Mercury Trade
- Minamata Convention/National Action Plan
- Sustainable Development Goals
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Undermining Rights: Indigenous Lands and Mining in the Amazon
Patricia Quijano Vallejos, Peter Veit, Pedro Tipula and Katie Reytar English
Conducting geospatial analysis of the Amazon biogeographic region, this report estimates, for the first time, the full extent of legal, large-scale mining concessions and illegal mining operations on Indigenous territories within the rainforest. The study focuses on Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana and Peru.
Knowledge Areas:
Topics:
- Biodiversity/ Environmental Rehabilitation
- Conflict Areas
- Cyanide/ Mercury
- Development
- Due Diligence Resources
- Due Diligence/Responsible Gold
- Environmental Impact
- Gender
- Gold Consumers
- Governance
- Health/Safety
- Human Rights/ Vulnerable Populations
- Income/Livelihood
- Indigenous Peoples
- Legal Framework
- Mining Laws and Policies
- Sustainable Development Goals
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Mapping artisanal and small-scale mining to the Sustainable Development Goals
PACT English
This report analyzes the relationships between ASM and each of the 17 SDGs and their associated targets, and provides concrete guidance to policymakers, donors and private partners for harnessing ASM-SDG interlinkages and unlocking the sector’s full sustainable development potential.
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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.
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Using Performance Indicators to Evaluate an Environmental Education Program in Artisanal Gold Mining Communities in the Brazilian Amazon
Rodolfo N. Sousa and Marcello M. Veiga English
The Tapajos River Basin in the Brazilian Amazon is the location of one of the largest concentrations of artisanal and small-scale miners in the world. A group of educators provided support to miners, training 4200 people in 141 mining locations. The effectiveness of this training was evaluated based on 20 performance indicators. After 120 days of training, an absolute improvement of approximately 29% had been achieved.
Knowledge Areas:
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Abandoned artisanal gold mines in the Brazilian Amazon: A legacy of mercury pollution
Marcello M. Veiga and Jennifer J. Hinton English
This article reviews the use of mercury in artisanal mining and highlights the role miners, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played in communicating facts, perpetuating myths and deriving solutions for mercury pollution. This article also raises some key concerns that must be addressed to understand the behaviour of mercury in the environment and identifies solutions for problems facing communities where artisanal gold mining operations have been abandoned.
Knowledge Areas:
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Mercury Nah Easy / Careful with Quicksilver - Awareness Raising Posters
planetGOLD Guyana English
This set of posters created by the planetGOLD Guyana project provides information about the dangers of mercury exposure, health problems it can cause, and practical tips miners can take to reduce the risk of exposure for themselves and their families.
Knowledge Areas:
Countries:
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Illicit Mercury Flows and Governance Practices in Mindanao, Philippines
Jashaf Shamir A. Lorenzo, BAN Toxics IUCN - National Committee of the Netherlands English
This report documents the illicit mercury flows in Mindanao, Philippines as well as the various governance practices for mercury in the study areas. The study is conducted by BAN Toxics and focuses on Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) communities in the island, where the majority of illicit mercury enters the country.
Knowledge Areas: