| Summary: | As gold has risen in value and artisanal gold mining has increased in many low income countries,
there has been an increasing need for sustainable development models that promote environmental
protection while enhancing the contribution of this activity to poverty alleviation.
Artisanal mining provides a critical source of income for an estimated 15 million poverty-driven
miners around the world, mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. However, its environmental impacts
are often extensive, with mercury pollution posing major threats to human health and diverse ecosystems.
1000 tonnes of mercury are polluted annually into the environment due to mercury misuse in artisanal
gold mining. This paper reviews community development models pioneered by local community
practitioners and international experts as part of an initiative by the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization, which can help to overcome environmental, social and economic challenges.
We discuss the introduction of various technical options, from simple innovations that allow mercury
containment, recycling and re-use, and also emphasize the importance of technologies of grinding and
crushing that can be developed from local materials to further enhance income potential.
While various past development efforts have sought to reduce mercury-related problems, we
conclude that sustainable development should seek to intertwine knowledge-sharing on environmental
goals with concrete ways of improving economic well-being. We demonstrate how such models of
knowledge-sharing can help to catalyze local innovation, technology-sharing and community
organization. We also discuss how this knowledge can be applied by governments to create capacitybuilding
policies as well as regulations that support sustained improvement in mining standards.
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