InvestorsHub Logo
Followers 129
Posts 3807
Boards Moderated 0
Alias Born 07/12/2003

Re: None

Saturday, 04/19/2014 10:35:50 AM

Saturday, April 19, 2014 10:35:50 AM

Post# of 101798
Artisanal Mining in Critical Ecosystems

Overview


http://www.profor.info/sites/profor.info/files/docs/ASM-brochure.pdf

An estimated 20 million people around the world rely on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) for their livelihood, working in more than 80 countries. They produce some 10 percent of the world’s mined gold, 15 to 20 percent of mined diamonds, approximately 20 to 25 percent of mined tin and tantalum, and a staggering 80 percent of colored gemstones. Many people engage in ASM because it brings them more income and faster economic returns than other locally feasible livelihoods, such as agriculture. Some turn to ASM when displaced by conflicts and instability. ASM can allow people to escape absolute poverty or improve their lives. It often offers high incomes for unskilled or illiterate individuals. The increasing price of precious minerals has launched rushes worldwide. These rushes are attracting people to previously untouched places that are important conservation sites, including within protected areas. A global study found ASM is occurring in protected areas and critical ecosystems in 32 of the 36 countries studied and in or around 96 of the 147 protected areas evaluated. Affected sites include at least seven natural World Heritage Sites and a range of critical ecosystems—arctic landscapes (Greenland), tropical rainforests (Brazil and Gabon, among many others), and coral reefs (Philippines). ASM poses a growing threat to biodiversity and the integrity of protected areas. Environmental impacts of mining methods—such as clear-cutting forests, river dredging, or use of toxic chemicals—are compounded by livelihood practices that support mining populations—gathering firewood or hunting for food or trade. ASM activities in protected areas are frequently the precursor for even more destructive impacts, opening up areas to illicit exploitation. On a global scale, ASM of gold is the biggest challenge in terms of negative environmental impacts, although other minerals have significant localized impacts.


Marginalization of ASM and its link with Environental degradation

The political marginalization of the ASM sector worsens the environmental degradation caused by artisanal mining. This is coupled with the lack of appropriate incentives and capacity to mine in a more environmentally sensitive manner. ASM’s marginalization within the mining industry primarily stems from many governments believing that large-scale mining should be prioritized whenever possible over ASM, which does not contribute as much direct (tax) revenue to the state as industrial mining. Many governments see ASM as an informal or illegal activity, making reforms economically unattractive and politically challenging. Moreover, some unscrupulous middlemen involved in gemstone or gold markets have ties to those with the political means to perpetuate the marginal and informal condition of ASM so crucial for their businesses. Environmental education for artisanal miners has focused largely on programs for increasing yield, rehabilitating mined out areas, and managing mercury, but there is much more that ASM miners could do to operate in ways that are less environmentally damaging. These miners could use training in such subjects as tailings management, use of local resources to make tools, and managing fuel and fuel containers to prevent water and air pollution on site. There is also an education need among ASM on conservation, ecology, and the importance of ecosystems to local communities. The next sections focus on ASM in Gabon, Liberia, and Madagascar, exploring the complexity of ASM in these country studies. Dangers of Mercury in Mining Mercury, a highly toxic metal, poses a real danger to mining communities when used to extract gold from ores. After the gold ore is ground up, mercury is added to bind the gold into an amalgam; this is then heated to evapo - rate the mercury and the gold is left behind. Artisanal gold mining is one of the most significant sources of mercury release into the environment in the developing world. The use of mercury in small-scale mining techniques has health and environmental consequences. Mercury is discharged into the environment when miners fail to recover mercury tailings, either by dumping waste directly into rivers or by releasing mercury vapors into the atmo - sphere when the mercury-gold compound is burned. Mercury settles into the surrounding environment or circulates globally for future deposition far from the site, thereby contami - nating the food chain and fisheries. Exposure to mercury can cause kidney problems, arthritis, memory loss, miscar - riages, psychotic reactions, respiratory failure, neurological damage, and even death. Children exposed to mercury are at risk for developmental problems.



LIBERIA


A biodiversity hotspot, Liberia abounds in richness of species and endemism. Sapo National Park (SNP), the only national park, is at the center of one of the largest intact blocks of the Upper Guinea Forest, with high rates of endemism. National legislation forbids any economic activity from taking place in SNP, including mining. The ASM sector for gold and diamonds in Liberia is estimated to involve as many as 100,000 artisanal miners. For the past century, ASM activities have been taking place in Liberia. The miners, who are mainly Liberian nationals, are attracted to ASM as a primary source of livelihood, because agricultural production often does not serve to be a viable income- generating activity for many Liberians. Agriculture declined heavily during the civil war because of a lack of inputs, capacity, and technical know- how in the sector.


Challenges and opportunities regarding ASM and Critical Ecosystems in Liberia


The Ministry of Lands Mines and Energy (MLME) focuses on large scale mines, viewing ASM as an impediment to progress in the mining sector. The ASM provisions in the mining code are unsupportive of its realities, making it extremely difficult and unrealistically expensive for an artisanal miner to be legal. Furthermore, the mining code neglects the dispersed, alluvial, easy-access nature of most artisanally mined diamond and gold deposits. Artisanal gold miners working close to SNP borders pose a growing threat to the park. Mercury is currently not used by mining communities to the north of SNP. Maintaining this situation will become increasingly difficult, especially if, as suspected, legal ASM will continue to grow north of the Park. Siltation is a major issue affecting drinking water.


ARTISANAL MINING IN Critical Ecosystems


Researchers noticed only one small creek with clear water; all the others were highly disturbed, potentially from ASM activity. Other major environmental issues observed were forest clearance for mining and no backfilling or reclamation of abandoned sites. Illegal miners within SNP were successfully evicted in 2010, but it is not known how long the eviction will hold. With regard to the eviction strategies, researchers have concluded: eviction alone is not sustainable unless investment in improved national park governance is made. Since a typical artisanal digger at legal sites adjacent to SNP is estimated to earn equal to or more than the average local income, it is unlikely that miners would be willing to abandon mining and move into another livelihood activity for economic reasons alone. rEC o MME nd A tions i \mproving ASM
governance and Coordination An important way to improve ASM-sector governance and coordination in the SNP-area is to implement feasible mineral rush-mining response plans. These plans should contain on-site monitoring, infrastructure, community health, and control measures. Managing and Mitigating Environmental impacts ASM has been found to be conducted in a strict hierarchical system in Liberia, with the miner being the central point for establishment of mining rules. Environmental interventions would be best organized from this control point. Miners and other community members should receive training in environmental management, environmentally responsible methods and related guidance through education and demonstration projects. They need to be sensitized on legal and regulatory environmental requirements. On the official side, government officers need adequate resources for support, monitoring, and enforcement. There needs to be collaboration among authorities, miners, communities and others to develop and implement strategies for ASM in biologically sensitive areas. Formalizing and improving the A s M sector To formalize the ASM sector, the Liberian government needs multiple agencies to commit to improved economic, environmental and social performance of ASM. Gender concerns need to be built into formalization efforts. To improve the development performance of ASM in the region, ASM should be mainstreamed within poverty reduction and development strategies. ASM should be included within national budgets through collaboration between Ministries of Finance and other relevant line ministries. value chain development can also improve ASM, whereby linkages can be established between miners and markets through collaboration with investment authorities, other government agencies, and registered buyers. improving social performance of A s M The social performance of ASM in Liberia can be improved by identifying and eliminating barriers to the empowerment of women working in conjunction with ASM communities. Other concerns are eliminating child labor and implementing mechanisms to ensure the fair distribution of mining benefits. Overall, it is important to get the community involved in initiatives to monitor and improve the social and environmental performance of Liberia’s ASM.

GOLD BOYS

Artisanally mined Gold in Liberia is produced through the physical labor of “gold boys” or diggers, most of who are Liberian men or boys, ranging in age from teenagers to those in their mid-40s. The men and boys organize themselves into groups of four to six people who dig and wash in a particular pit. The groups of diggers share the gold produced among themselves and sell predominantly to the miner on whose claim they are working, to the sponsor that has pre- financed their food and equipment, or (less often) directly to a visiting gold broker. The gold boys live in the mining camp run by the miner who owns the claim on which they work. Some gold boys are investing their returns from digging for the payment of their children’s school fees or funding small market businesses. An example of a typical gold boy at an ASM site is a man from Tapita, in GrandGedeh county, who began gold mining in early 2011. The Tapita man has a wife and two young children who live in Zwedru, the county capital, 60 km north of the mining site. He was encouraged to take up mining after the success of his brother who had moved to the site to mine in 2010 and saved enough to buy his own water pump. The man, who had previously worked for nongovernmental organizations in Zwedru, feels ASM is a more profitable source of work. He was in the process of building his own house at one of the mining camps but now plans to send remittances to his family. He doesn’t think that his mining work has any impact on the environment, especially as the national park is a long way away (it is actually three km away). He is positive about the gold business and feels it offers the best form of income available to him.

ConClusion


small-scale gold mining is now a global movement. b ig problems remain but it represents a huge global development opportunity.

” — d r. kevin telmer,


Artisanal gold Council ASM exists in many diverse settings around the word and as such is a complex sector marked by a shifting set of problems. A one-size-fits-all approach is not the answer to dealing with ASM. In one country, a well-organized program of training might be needed and in another, a sudden migration of thousands of people in a mineral rush might call for immediate health and security responses. A common understanding of the many problems inherent in the ASM sector, in concert with a coordinated strategy to address issues as they arise, is necessary to improve conditions in ASM communities and reduce treats to the highly vulnerable populations.


Known policy response to ASM occurring in Critiical Ecosystems

There are many ways to respond to ASM in protected areas and critical ecosystems. To manage ASM in critical ecosystems, countries can use market-based interventions and sustainable supply chain initiatives centered on specific sites and aimed at achieving positive social and environmental outcomes by capacity building throughout the supply chain and use of standards and certification. Negotiated or conditioned access and voluntary agreements negotiated between governments or NGO partners and mining communities can specify environmental rules in exchange for authorized access to specific parts of a protected area. Selected de-gazettement of protected areas can allow existing artisanal mining to continue. Governments can promote alternative livelihoods, via the introduction of new employment opportunities outside of protected areas. They can introduce responsible mining methods or “mining mindful” conservation strategies early on in conservation planning, such as park border considerations, as well as those for specialized staffing and government-provided services. To stop ASM in protected areas or critical ecosystems, governments can evict artisanal miners from a protected area by force or threat of force in response to its illegality. Or they can gazette artisanal mining sites as new protected areas, or confer stricter protected status to mining sites.



Key Challenges Affecting the Feasibility of Managing ASM in CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS


Various factors can compound investigating and managing ASM in critical ecosystems. It can be difficult to convince governments and other stakeholders that engaging with miners does not signify condoning their behavior or presence. In addition, some solutions may not be possible; finding a workable solution then becomes even more challenging or requires clear prioritization backed by budgets, improved capacity, and planning. For reasons of local or national security, protected areas in remote areas or along international borders sometimes house ex-combatants and armed groups and may be perceived as sites where existing insurgents or the disaffected may gather to plan an uprising. Where this is the case, accessing these areas to investigate ASM is difficult owing to the level of politicization of the park. Another factor making managing ASM in critical ecosystems difficult is that local people do not always accept or recognize protected areas. Moreover, in the development-conservation balance, addressing threats to critical ecosystems is not always among the top priorities of governments and consequently, incursions may continue unabated. In addition, there can be conflicting mandates that require sorting out, particularly when mining, conservation, and forestry laws directly conflict or where there is no coordination in practice. Regarding environmental impacts, the issue is not a lack of knowledge of ASM’s impacts or how to manage them from a technical standpoint: the problem is how to do so in a way that is politically feasible in a precious ecosystem. This involves hard questions involving policy, engagement, incentives, assigning resources, and which options are logistically feasible and politically palatable. It is about constructive policies, engagement, and deep consideration as to how engagement may be best done in order to achieve the goal of minimizing the negative impacts ASM may have on ecological health where it occurs in critical ecosystems, while maximizing the development potential of artisanal mining.

Join the InvestorsHub Community

Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.