In many parts of the world, artisanal or small-scale mining activities are at least as important as large-scale mining activities. The numbers of people employed are actually considerably greater than in large companies. In 2002, an estimated 13 million people a large percentage of those are women and children are artisanal and small scale miners operating mainly in developing countries. Although the numbers of small-scale miners and their dependents are estimated at up to 80-100 million people, governments are frequently reluctant to give legal recognition to artisanal miners. This paper discusses approaches to develop the Artisanal–Small Scale Mining (ASM) sector in developing countries. This includes choice of mineral commodity, available technologies and economic/geological criteria. Other considerations include access to finance, area selection, and personnel. The parameters of mineral economic analysis are also essential for a successful ASM mining operation. Finally, choice of mining equipment is critical to success.
Artisanal small-scale mining (ASM) has devastating impacts on the environment, such as deforestation, over-stripping of overburden, burning of bushes and use of harmful chemicals like mercury. These environmental impacts are a result of destructive mining, wasteful mineral extraction and processing practices and techniques used by the artisanal small-scale miners. This paper explores the ecological problems caused by ASM in Mzingwane District, Zimbabwe. It seeks to determine the nature and extent to which the environment has been damaged by the ASM from a community perspective. Interviews, questionnaires and observations were used to collect qualitative data. Results indicated that the nature of the mining activities undertaken by unskilled and under-equipped gold panners in Mzingwane District is characterised by massive stripping of overburden and burning of bushes, leading to destruction of large tracts of land and river systems and general ecosystem disturbance. The research concluded that ASM in Mzingwane District is an ecological time bomb, stressing the need for appropriate modifications of the legal and institutional frameworks for promoting sustainable use of natural resources and mining development in Zimbabwe. Government, through the Ministry of Small Scale and Medium Enterprises, need to regularise and formalise all gold mining activities through licensing, giving permanent claims and operating permits to panners in order to recoup some of the added costs in the form of taxes. At the local level, the Mzingwane Rural District Council (MRDC) together with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) need to design appropriate environmental education and awareness programmes targeting the local community and gold panners. ; https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v7i1.158
Abstract Informal sector mining is a growing enterprise in countries around the world providing livelihood to >40 million self-employed miners. The use of mercury in gold processing has been the sole focus of most research and public health interventions in artisanal mining. Few programs work to improve health among communities mining other commodities including sand, aggregates, quartz, lead, gemstones, coal and other materials. Although mercury is a major environmental challenge in countries with extensive gold mining, artisanal miners are also exposed to silica dust, metals and other safety hazards. The available evidence regarding hazardous exposures among self-employed miners suggests that the public health implications are much broader. There is a growing body of evidence linking exposures to silica dust to tuberculosis and other lung diseases among artisanal miners. Studies have also documented exposures to lead and other metals including arsenic, cadmium, cobalt and chromium in informal mining communities. Silica-dust exposures are higher in artisanal mining than levels reported in large industrial mining. There is ample evidence that artisanal miners are experiencing health impacts not just from mercury but also from exposures to noise, silica dust and metals. Practical, low-cost solutions have been pilot tested and shown to reduce respirable silica dust and metal exposures among miners and ore processors. Governments, development agencies and global health funders should invest in comprehensive public health programs to respond to these needs.
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record ; Artisanal Small-scale Mining (ASM) is a critical source of livelihoods for large areas of the Global South but it can bring with it many problems, including deforestation, water pollution and low worker safety. Timely and comprehensive management of ASM is crucial to ensure that it can take place safely and cleanly, supporting sustainable development. The informal nature of the sector presents challenges related to documenting the locations of ASM. Remote sensing methods have been used to detect ASM, although difficulties with accuracy, resolution and persistent cloud cover have been encountered. This paper proposes a method of ASM detection using a deep convolutional neural network model applied to open source Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite imagery. Firstly, the model is evaluated against both existing ASM detection methods and visual inspection of randomly sampled points. Secondly, the model is used to map mining and urban land use changes over a dataset spanning four years and 6 million hectares of southern Ghana, demonstrating the ability of this method to process very large areas. The omission and commission errors of less than 8% from the sampled points indicate that this model has achieved unprecedented levels of accuracy for the task of detecting ASM from satellite imagery. When applied to the case study area, the data on ASM trends over time demonstrate a correlation between the Ghanaian government's 2017 clampdown and ASM activities. The ASM land use category decreased by 6000 ha in 2017, despite a net increase of 15000 ha over the period 2015–2019. Additionally, the model was applied to quantify the extent of illegal mining related deforestation within Ghana's protected forests, measured at over 3500 ha, with 2400 of these lost since 2015. The results demonstrate that this methodology can detect ASM in Ghana with a high degree of accuracy at a minimal cost in terms of financial and human resources. The model shows strong generalisation abilities, offering exciting potential for using this methodology to further monitor and analyse ASM related land use changes worldwide.
Gold mining, like all other forms of mining, is strongly associated with the production of a wide range of residues, whether this concerns (toxic) waste materials or the environments transformed in pursuit of gold. Frequently, these residual products, such as soil, mud, rocks, and water, as well as the environments from which they are extracted or where they are deposited, appear as waste, cast aside or abandoned, rendered as useless by-products or destroyed lands. In this photographic essay, we build on recent insight regarding the fluid character of waste by extending analysis into both the domains of materials and of space because not only can specific materials be repurposed as resources, but also specific spaces can be transformed from sites of abandonment to sites of production (or vice versa), whether for mining or other activities. These photographic series show how different actors repurpose material and spatial residues. By centralising images of processes of repurposing, this essay nuances and offers a counterweight to dominant visual narratives. These typically focus on environmental and social damage, and often take a perspective 'from above' as they largely draw on aerial images. In doing so, these narratives tend to flatten or even erase local complexity and heterogeneity, and risk reproducing received negative stereotypes about artisanal and small-scale mining and miners. Importantly, as will transpire throughout the essay, the phenomena and processes depicted in our images shape and are shaped by different social, political, economic, technological, environmental, and historical relations and dynamics. These include, for example, former mining trajectories, gendered production relations, miners' socio-economic positions, the involvement of external actors, and the introduction of new capital, knowledge and technologies. Ultimately, this illuminates the necessity of approaching 'waste' in fluid, relational, and transformative terms as material and spatial endings are turned into new beginnings. ; Funders: Belmont Forum, NORFACE (New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe). ; Gold Matters
This is an open access article under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. ; Mercury‐dependent artisanal and small‐scale gold mining (ASGM) is the largest source of mercury pollution on Earth. In this practice, elemental mercury is used to extract gold from ore as an amalgam. The amalgam is typically isolated by hand and then heated—often with a torch or over a stove—to distill the mercury and isolate the gold. Mercury release from tailings and vaporized mercury exceed 1000 tonnes each year from ASGM. The health effects on the miners are dire, with inhaled mercury leading to neurological damage and other health issues. The communities near these mines are also affected due to mercury contamination of water and soil and subsequent accumulation in food staples, such as fish—a major source of dietary protein in many ASGM regions. The risks to children are also substantial, with mercury emissions from ASGM resulting in both physical and mental disabilities and compromised development. Between 10 and 19 million people use mercury to mine for gold in more than 70 countries, making mercury pollution from ASGM a global issue. With the Minamata Convention on Mercury entering force this year, there is political motivation to help overcome the problem of mercury in ASGM. In this effort, chemists can play a central role. Here, the problem of mercury in ASGM is reviewed with a discussion on how the chemistry community can contribute solutions. Introducing portable and low‐cost mercury sensors, inexpensive and scalable remediation technologies, novel methods to prevent mercury uptake in fish and food crops, and efficient and easy‐to‐use mercury‐free mining techniques are all ways in which the chemistry community can help. To meet these challenges, it is critical that new technologies or techniques are low‐cost and adaptable to the remote and under‐resourced areas in which ASGM is most common. The problem of mercury pollution in ASGM is inherently a chemistry problem. We therefore encourage the chemistry community to consider and address this issue that affects the health of millions of people. ; The authors are grateful for the generous financial support provided by Flinders University, The Australian Research Council (DE150101863), and the Australian Government National Environmental Science Programme Emerging Priorities Funding.
India does not have an appropriate policy framework for the ASM sector. For the most part it is neglected, with several artisanal mines and activities even labelled "illegal". The neglect, coupled with criminalization, creates barriers for an effective environmental management strategy. The complex legal framework for mineral ownership, mining and environmental regulation, bring with them another set of challenges. This paper examines in detail the environmental regulatory framework for ASM. I also unpack the assumptions informing the environmental regulatory framework, arguing that they primarily inform the medium and large- scale mining (LSM) sector without being tailor made for the needs of the ASM sector. I argue this in the context of India, attempting to point out the specific challenges for the ASM sector and the possible ways forward in rethinking the framework. (Asian Aff/GIGA)
