| Long-term Objective
The long-term objective of this project is to protect
international waters from mercury pollution emanating from
small-scale mining operations. Measures and methods to
reduce this pollution will be demonstrated in a pilot suite
of developing countries located in several key transboundary
river/lake basins. The main tools for reducing the pollution
consist in assessing the extent of mercury pollution from
current activities, introducing cleaner gold mining and
extraction technology that minimize or eliminate mercury
releases and developing capacity and regulatory mechanisms
that will enable the sector to minimize negative environmental
impacts.
Broad Development Objective
The broad development objectives of the six participating
countries is to transform the current artisanal mining
activities into organized activities in order to enhance
incomes of the participating members of the population,
minimize negative environmental impacts and enhance development
of the mineral sector and hence the economy. Like in many
developing countries, artisanal mining activities are carried
out in the six participating countries mainly as a way
of dealing with poverty by the rural populations. Its popularity
is enhanced by the fact that its entry does not require
much investment and in most cases it operates outside the
formal business procedures. With little or no mining knowledge,
minimal investment capital and poor legislative frameworks,
most activities are unorganized, unregulated and their
formal recognition is only recent following the new international
drive to fight poverty. As a result, the short-term gains
envisaged by miners in order to break away from poverty
have largely been outweighed by the negative impacts caused
by these activities to the environment, health and safety
of the miners and the neighboring communities. In addressing
the negative environmental impacts resulting from these
activities, some Governments have initiated programmes
to address the issues related to the uncontrolled use of
mercury in the recovery of gold. However, since most activities
have been operating outside the legal framework, major
efforts are still directed towards putting in place legislative
and regulatory frameworks upon which artisanal mining activities
can be conducted.
Global Environmental Objective
The global environmental objective is to assist developing
countries create conditions necessary to minimize mercury
pollution and other negative environmental impacts on International
Waterbodies resulting from artisanal gold mining and extraction
activities. Most artisanal gold mining activities within
the participating countries are carried out within basins
of major ecological significance and that cross geographical
boundaries to many countries, e.g., the basins of the Amazon,
River Nile, Lake Victoria, River Zambezi, River Mekong
and River Kahayan in Indonesia. As such, the negative environmental
impacts on the International Waterbodies within these basins
are bound to affect many countries most of which do not
even have gold mining activities. Whereas the Amazon Basin
is the largest drainage system in the world with more than
two thirds of its area covered by an immense Amazon Rain
Forest which represents about half of the Earth’s
remaining rain forest and constitutes the largest reserve
of biological resources, estimates show that gold mining
activities dump nearly 130 tons of mercury annually within
Brazil alone. Nearly 200 tons of mercury is dumped into
the environment by these activities in Indonesia and the
amount is on the rise in other countries due to the increase
in artisanal gold mining activities. The Governments of
the participating countries, acting unilaterally are unable
to finance the high initial start up costs of dealing with
mercury related pollution problems. The proposed project
will lead to the establishment of the extent of mercury
pollution, increase of knowledge and awareness on environmental
issues, introduction and demonstration of the application
of efficient and clean technology and provision of assistance
to Governments to enable them develop policies and legislation
that are practical and enforceable. These efforts will
in turn lead artisanal mining activities that are efficient
and environmentally acceptable.
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