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Blockchain technology could help the African gold industry boost the continent’s economic growth, even during the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

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.

International gold trade has many routes and inter-connections but as is evident from the COVID-19 crisis, it can come grinding to a halt when only a few of its interconnected elements cease to function. And that has exposed some its its vulnerabilities and who are its most vulnerable participants – artisanal gold miners.

Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining provides livelihoods for about 40 million people worldwide, representing 90% of the gold mining sector workforce and generating around 20% of their annual production. 

In the context of the global crisis generated by COVID-19, this population is exposed to a number of particular vulnerabilities that need to be urgently assessed at the global, national and local levels to take action to mitigate their impact.

As COVID-19 sweeps the globe, risking the health and lives of millions, it is clear the pandemic is also causing economic havoc.

As the world’s priorities are reshaped by the COVID-19 crisis, Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) communities should not be overlooked.