Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a pillar of stability and opportunity for at least 16 million people worldwide, particularly in rural, impoverished communities. But with these pros also come cons. Given the serious contamination and environmental degradation associated with it, nations around the world are pushing for more sustainable laws and regulations. The question remains for policymakers, however: Can policymakers ever get it right? Several studies have demonstrated the harmful effects of ASGM on communities and the environment. One of the greatest problems is the use of mercury to separate gold from the ore, with the waste then released into the environment, leading to air, soil and water pollution that threatens biodiversity and human health. Another issue is deforestation without a rehabilitation process, which legal mines are often required to have. “There are a lot of illegal mining activities in the small-scale mining space that are creating a lot of environmental issues, such as pollution of river bodies,” Philip Bawah, a member of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), told Mongabay. The challenge, he said, is proper regulation and government assistance to turn these operations into legal businesses that follow environmental protocols. “There are a lot of lapses from the authorities concerned,” Bawah told Mongabay. Small-scale gold mining in Ghana. Image by Mirko Winkler / planetGOLD. Nations around the world are keen to find ways to make mining more sustainable, given that so many people depend on it for income and security. In fragile and conflict-affected…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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