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(-) Cyanide/ Mercury

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.
Knowledge Areas:

Formalization

Access to Finance

Technical Solutions
Countries:

Peru
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
Download .pdf (2.68 MB)
Understanding the use and trade of toxic chemicals in artisanal gold mining: The case of Burkina Faso

Poorva Karkare, ECPDM 2020 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:

Technical Solutions

Formalization
Countries:

Burkina Faso
Topics:

Cyanide/ Mercury

Income/Livelihood

Mercury Reduction/ Mercury Trade

Mining Laws and Policies
Download
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 2017 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:

Formalization

Technical Solutions

Access to Finance
Countries:

Indonesia
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
Download .pdf (686.66 KB)
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:

Formalization
Countries:

Colombia

Ecuador

Guyana

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

PACT 2020 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.
Knowledge Areas:

Formalization
Topics:

Biodiversity/ Environmental Rehabilitation

Cyanide/ Mercury

Development

Environmental Impact

Human Rights/ Vulnerable Populations

Income/Livelihood

Indigenous Peoples
Download
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.
Knowledge Areas:

Awareness Raising
Topics:

Baseline Assessments

Cyanide/ Mercury

Development

Environmental Impact

Health/Safety

Income/Livelihood

Mercury Reduction/ Mercury Trade
Visit
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 2009 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:

Awareness Raising
Topics:

Mercury Reduction/ Mercury Trade

Environmental Impact

Cyanide/ Mercury
Download .pdf (3.62 MB)
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:

Awareness Raising
Topics:

Health/Safety

Human Rights/ Vulnerable Populations

Cyanide/ Mercury
Download .pdf (999.42 KB)
Mercury Nah Easy / Careful with Quicksilver - Awareness Raising Posters

planetGOLD Guyana 2020 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:

Awareness Raising
Countries:

Guyana
Topics:

Health/Safety

Mercury Reduction/ Mercury Trade

Environmental Impact

Cyanide/ Mercury
Download .pdf (3.4 MB)
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:

Awareness Raising

Technical Solutions
Countries:

Philippines
Topics:

Mercury Reduction/ Mercury Trade

Legal Framework

Income/Livelihood

Governance

Due Diligence/ Supply Chains

Development

Cyanide/ Mercury
Download .pdf (4.11 MB)

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