Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining
Globally, approximately 50 million people are engaged in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) (https://artisanalmining.org/Inventory/#:~:text=Data%20from%2085%20countries%20allow,(12.8%20million)%20are%20women.). More than a third of these individuals mine for gold, with an estimated 18.2 million ASM workers dedicated to artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). When factoring in support activities and dependent families, the livelihoods of over 40 million people worldwide likely rely on ASGM.
In Suriname, approximately 15,000 men and 5,000 women ([source](Link to report Heemskerk et al., 2021)) work as miners and service providers in ASGM areas. Social Solutions is specialized in ASM research. Most recently, we produced a calculated estimate of the number of people mining gold illegally in French Guiana and the volume of gold they extract ([source](Link to study)). We have also collected similar data for Suriname ([source](Link to study)) and, in previous years, carried out an extensive study on the gold marketing chain (source, link).
While ASGM provides an essential livelihood for many individuals with limited income-generating opportunities, it also has significant environmental and health consequences ([source](Link to report)). Small-scale gold miners use mercury ([source](Link to report)), leading to soil, fish, and human contamination (See also our report on the mercury marketing chain). ASGM has also been linked to the regional spread of malaria ([source](See public health)). However, contrary to common belief, our research has found no evidence of increased HIV prevalence ([source](Link to HIV report)) in gold mining communities.
link up reports
OLD TEXT
Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is an important livelihood activity that employs an estimated 10 million miners and may support, directly and indirectly, as many as 100 million persons worldwide. In Suriname, ASGM accounts for more than half of national gold production. The sector directly employs an estimated 20,000 persons as small-scale gold miners plus a similar number of mining service providers.
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Social Solutions supports governments, private sector and NGOs in efforts to collect information about, and provide services to, ASGM populations. In Suriname, Social Solutions has conducted general assessments of ASGM populations in specific regions, including a national protected area, as well as more targeted studies. These targeted studies include regular monitoring studies for the Suriname government Looking for Gold, Finding Malaria program, as well as a Seroprevalence and Behavioral Surveillance Survey among commercial sex workers and their clients at mine sites. Outside of Suriname, Social Solutions researchers have worked with artisanal and small-scale gold mining communities in Mongolia, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia and Colombia.
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Presently Social Solutions works with the Artisanal Gold Council on a program to reduce the use of mercury in ASGM industry through the introduction of mobile mercury free processing systems. The project will be implemented in coordination with local educational institutions as a means of capacity building within the country and to ensure sustainability of the results.
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