Harnesses the potential of artisanal and smallscale mining to stimulate localnational entrepreneurship, improve livelihoods and advance integrated rural social and economic development amv, 20091. Artisanal and smallscale mining is also the source of the largest releases of mercury, estimated at 1,400 tonnes per year in 2011 according to the minamata convention. An analysis based on the artisanal and smallscale mining sector. Artisanal and smallscale production supply accounts for 80% of global sapphire, 20% of gold mining.
Gender and artisanal and smallscale mining in central and. Analysis of the socioeconomic factors that contribute to. Pdf rural poverty and artisanal mining in subsaharan africa. The artisanal gold council releases the first version of its field health education flip charts health in artisanal and smallscale gold mining. Artisanal and smallscale mining is also the source of the largest releases of mercury, estimated at. Gold and clay ii executive summary context located in the east africa region and great lakes region glr of africa, uganda is a lowincome country with relatively solid economic growth and ambitions to achieve middleincome status by 2020. There is a considerable history of mining across africa with artisanal and small. Smallscale mining and sustainable development within the sadc region 5 summary and conclusions introduction broadly, speaking, it is difficult to make general conclusions about smallscale mining in southern africa. Often operating in remote, unregulated and environmentally sensitive areas, difficult to tax and posing a. Pdf attempts to discuss smallscale artisanal mining asm within the lenses of environmentpoverty paradox have had two contending schools of. Many african countries are going through a phase of difficult economic conditions and a high rate of unemployment and poverty in their communities. The mining, minerals and sustainable development project executive summary, jan 1, 2002.
Environmental impact of artisanal gold mining in luku. African women in artisanal and smallscale mining united nations. The evaluation of environmental impact of artisanal gold mining was carried out in luku, minna, north central nigeria, to evaluate environmental hazards associated with artisanal gold mining through field work and laboratory analyses. The impact of expanding artisanal and smallscale mining on small holder agriculture in west africa find out more visit acet at. The impacts of artisanal gold mining in sudan introduction. The impact of expanding artisanal and smallscale mining. Illegal mining in south africa is a massive industry, mostly. Artisanal mining ecological effects in zimbabwe and the. Formalizing artisanal mining spaces in rural subsaharan. A call to unshackle artisanal miners in south africa.
During the field work, observations of the whole mining site were made so as to evaluate the physical impact of mining and representative soil. Despite increased attention to research on mining and gender, systematic analyses of the links between mining, conflict, and sexual violence are scarce. Women in artisanal and smallscale mining in central and. Rural poverty and artisanal mining in subsaharan africa issah musahsurugu justice, albert ahenkan, justice nyigmah bawole, and emmanuel. The impacts of artisanal gold mining on local livelihoods. Kahuzibiega national park and itombwe nature reserve, eastern democratic republic of congo volume 53 issue 1 charlotte spira, andrew kirkby, deo kujirakwinja, andrew j. Impact of alluvial artisanal and smallscale gold mining.
Summary introduction in ghana, artisanal and smallscale mining asm has grown in size and significance. Report prepared by the international institute for environment and development iied for the intergovernmental. Formalizing artisanal and smallscale gold mining universiteit. Where artisanal mines and forest meet research explorer. Preliminary study on artisanal and smallscale mining in. Traditionally, subsaharan africas focus has been on largescale oil, gas and mineral resource mining. Agricultural poverty and the expansion of artisanal. Boosting artisanal and smallscale mining 4bulletin harnessing the potential of asm to improve rural livelihoods, to stimulate entrepreneurship in a socially responsible manner, to promote local and integrated national development as well as regional cooperation the africa mining vision the term artisan and smallscale mining asm. Artisanal mining is illegal in south africa, as it is not provided for in primary mining legislation. This paper contributes to filling this gap by exploring how artisanal and smallscale mining asm and sexual violence are related in. Artisanal and smallscale gold mining asgm has long been practiced in nigeria and around the world.
Africas enormous mining potential, along with improvements in political systems, and changes in fiscal and regulatory environments has led to a rise in investments over the years. In some west african countries for example, mali, smallscale mining is differentiated from artisanal mining by the presence of permanent. Challenges and opportunities for greater participation. Why do people engage in artisanal and smallscale mining asmlabourintensive mineral extraction and processing activityacross subsaharan africa. The socioeconomics of artisanal mining and bushmeat. Africa produces over 60% of the worlds artisanally mined. The mprda does provide for a mining permit, which was envisioned to provide for the regulation of all artisanal and smallscale mining asm activities occurring on. Exposure to mercury can have serious health impacts, including irreversible brain damage. A pproximately 8 million africans are engaged in artisanal miningmining activity characterized by the use of rudimentary tools and labor intensive techniques. In ghana, like many developing countries, there is paucity of information on the causes and nature of the accidents that result in the injuries. Artisanal and smallscale gold mining and food security. A rapid assessment toolkit, says that some african countries, such as the ghana and malawi, have more than 50% of women making up the artisanal and smallscale mining workforce. The majority of women in engage in smallscale artisanal mining, and wlsa zimbabwe notes that south africas law provides for mining syndicates and consortiums so groups can buy mining claims together. Artisanal and smallscale mining in many parts of the world minerals are extracted by artisanal and smallscale miners people working with simple tools and equipment, usually in the informal sector, outside the legal and regulatory framework.
Karamo nm sonko, president and chief executive officer. A starting point is the insertion of women in small and mediumscale mining operations into. The benefits of legalising artisanal mining in south africa. The world bank in its gender dimensions of artisanal and smallscale mining. Artisanal and smallscale mining is an important source of livelihood to many people who would otherwise live in poverty. In africa alone, an estimated 9 million people are directly involved in the sector, and an additional 54 million indirectly depend on asm for their livelihoods ilo, 1999.
The impacts of artisanal gold mining on local livelihoods and the environment in the forested areas of cameroon. The role of conflict minerals, artisanal mining, and. Integrated assessment of artisanal and smallscale gold. Fostering entrepreneurship in artisanal mining to build. In this study the term artisanal mining is defined as mining with the use of manual methods and procedures. Asgm is not new 19th century gold rushes from 18491929. Sikanyiso masuku the writer is a phd candidate for a doctor of philosophy in conflict transformation and an assistant teaching staff in the school of social sciences at the university of kwazulu natal south africa. This artisanal and smallscale mining asm handbook for ghana is the result of a training session held in. Through an overview of the artisanal mining situation in asia, south america, the pacific, and closer to home in east and west africa, the report provides insight into the social and legal systems that are working in those areas which have artisanal and smallscale mining sectors of varying sizes. Impact of smallscale mining operations on economies and livelihoods in low to middleincome countries iii executive summary this report of the east africa research fund earf project understanding the economic contribution of smallscale mining in east africa addresses the first of three main objectives of the terms of reference, namely to conduct an overarching.
Artisanal and smallscale mining, or asm, is a complex and dynamic activity upon which millions of people depend worldwide. Artisanal and smallsc ale gold mining in g hana eid ence to inform an action dialogu e 6. Artisanal mining in africa photos of mining pits by hugh. Artisanal and smallscale gold miners are confronted with numerous hazards often resulting in varying degrees of injuries and fatalities.
Artisanal and smallscale mining occurs in approximately 80 countries worldwide. Asgm has many associated environmental and occupational health issues, particularly when. Artisanal and smallscale mining in subsaharan africa is prominent in poor rural areas where minerals are found. Asm refers to small groups engaged in lowcost, lowtech, labourintensive excavation and processing of minerals. An increasing number of rural population shave also continuously joined artisanal small scale mining activities to supplement income and support theyre left behind families. Change, challenges and policy options roy maconachie university of bath, uk r. Smallscale mining and sustainable development within the. The historical, economic, developmental, geological and. Economic contributions of artisanal and smallscale mining. The impact of smallscale mining operations on economies. W omen and children directly employed in artisanal and smallscale mining in selected countries the ore to intermediar ies, who concentrate it and transport the products to market. Extractives contents the impact of expanding artisanal and smallscale mining on small holder agriculture in west africa a case study of burkina faso, ghana and sierra leone synthesis report.
This paper argues that agricultural poverty, or hardship induced by an overdependency on farming for survival, has fuelled the recent rapid expansion of asm operations throughout the region. This is an educational material accompanies with health issues in artisanal and small scale gold mining. Illegal, unregulated or artisanal mining, this form of mining isnt going away. This paper critically examines how women employed in artisanal and smallscale mining asm lowtech mineral extraction and processing in subsaharan africa could be affected by moves made to formalize and support their activities under the africa mining vision amv, africas own response to tackling the paradox of great mineral wealth existing side by. Artisanal gold mining is carried out in developing countries of africa, oceania and central and south america. Its contribution to wealth creation, employment and the economy makes it one of the nations most important livelihood activities. The economic contributions of artisanal and smallscale mining in uganda. As such, women miners like the mtandazo women miners association in gwanda, matebeleland north have recorded some success stories. Bolstered by historically high gold prices, a lack of viable alternative livelihoods, and a ready if expensive supply of mercury, there has been a resurgence of asgm activities in northern nigeria in recent years. There are approximately 100 million artisanal miners globally. Africa, child labor is a more complex and different issue than in the urban. Artisanal and smallscale gold mining and health vi foreword millions of people in the developing world depend on artisanal and smallscale gold mining asgm for their livelihoods. Artisanal and smallscale mining asm is a thorny issue for both governments and large scale mining lsm companies. Over the years artisanal gold mining has been a source of income generation of many communities.
Conservative estimates indicate the presence of more than eight million artisanal miners. Conservative estimates indi cate the presence of more than eight million artisanal miners in africa according to the uneca and the african union. Artisanal and smallscale mining activities provide an important source of livelihood for both proximate and distant communities 24,25. Boosting artisanal and smallscale mining africa mining vision. In africa, women make up around half the asm workforce. In such communities, mining serves as both a means of survival for impoverished farmers and as an engine for small business growth and agricultural. There is a considerable history of mining across africa with artisanal and small scale mining of gold tracing back to the 15th century.
Rural poverty and artisanal mining in subsaharan africa. The pan african support to the eurogeosurveysorganisation of african geological surveys partnership, abbreviated to panafgeo, is a project which supports training of geoscienti\c staff from african geological surveys. As part of ongoing research in addition to this report, amdc, in partnership with the african centre for gender at the united nations economic commission for africa, produced a study on women in artisanal and smallscale mining in five countries, highlighting key genderrelated challenges. Artisanal mining, conflict, and sexual violence in eastern. This paper contributes to the debate on the dynamics and impact of informal artisanal and smallscale mining asm lowtech, labourintensive mineral processing and extraction in subsaharan africa, focusing on the case of niger. Injuries among artisanal and smallscale gold miners in ghana. The socioeconomics of artisanal mining and bushmeat hunting around protected areas.
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