Developing policy and governance strategies to address mercury and small-scale gold mining

• Main Author: Spiegel, Samuel J.
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2010
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/24168

In over fifty countries, mercury is used to extract gold by artisanal and small-scale miners and poses significant threats to human and environmental health. While extensive research has focused on the negative effects of mercury, remarkably little attention has been devoted to institutional policies and governance strategies to reduce mercury use and associated risks. In many of the world’s poorest regions, mercury amalgamation has become more prevalently used as worsening poverty has contributed to a growth in rudimentary gold extraction activities. This study examines how these challenges prompted United Nations agencies to launch a global pilot initiative addressing mercury in small-scale gold mining, focusing on the mandate of “assisting countries to transfer to cleaner technologies.” Linking governments, NGOs, mining companies and other agencies, case studies from development campaigns in Africa, South America and Asia illustrate the complexities of environmental interventions in rural areas and the need for sensitive attention to government relations with mining communities. While mercury has been illegally used in most small-scale mining communities, this study demonstrates how strong stakeholder willingness to legalize mercury can help to more productively regulate and phase out mercury use and trade in order to eliminate major pollution point sources and health hazards. The study proposes developing UN International Guidelines on Mercury in Small-Scale Gold Mining to assist decision-makers at multiple governance levels, from village-level planners to national lawmakers and donors, in targeting technical priorities. Recognizing how narrow top-down policy models can be counterproductive, the analysis focuses on how interdisciplinary development planning teams have taken incremental and integrative approaches seeking to facilitate the reduction of pollution while supporting miners’ livelihoods. A policy framework is proposed to assist institutions in cultivating educational, economic, and legal strategies for mining regulation and development while learning from diverse country experiences. === Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies === Graduate