insert image supporting artisanal miners in mongolia: sdc‘s experiences and lessons learnt....
TRANSCRIPT
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Supporting Artisanal Miners in Mongolia: SDC‘s Experiences and Lessons Learnt.
Patience Singo,Project Manager,Sustainable Artisanal Mining Project, Swiss Development Cooperation Mongolia
Swiss Cooperation Office Mongolia
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Initial trigger: Droughts and severe winters
1997-2002.
Ex-herders turn to ASGM (ninja
mining) for livelihood.
100,000 miners, 20% of rural workforce.
Illegal, negative
public opinion.
Policy makers regarded ASGM
as temporary phenomenon.
Disorganised, safety, health and
environment risks.
Mercury use estimated at
10tons/annum.
Emergence of ASGM in Mongolia
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SDC Response: The SAM Project
•Transforming illegal ‘ninja mining’into a formal sub-sector.
‘Sustainable Artisanal Mining Project (SAM)’,
(2005-2014).
•SAM adopted a Rights Based Empowerment Approach in supporting ASGM.
SDC replicated lessons on
formalisation and
empowerment approaches from
Latin America.
3SCO Mongolia • Patience Singo 3
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Results of the SAM Project
4SCO Mongolia • Patience Singo 4
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Lessons Learnt
Political will of government key to regulate ASGM (ignoring or prohibition of ASGM is not the solution).
Appropriate legal framework: Incentive to ASGM formalisation and mercury reduction/ elimination.
Formalised miners: Are organised, paying taxes and rehabilitation funds and have stable & higher income (30-100% >informal) and use mercury free techniques.
5SDC Mongolia • Patience Singo
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Lessons Learnt
To move from mercury to elimination-Mongolia adopted a strict regulatory approach.
• Due to improved gold recovery rate of 75% and increased income. • Miners increasingly aware of Hg environmental and health risks.
Government monitoring is essential and building that capacity is key.
Mercury free approaches are successful and gaining popularity with many miners and are being replicated to a growing degree.
6SDC Mongolia • Patience Singo
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Lessons Learnt
When Mongolia banned mercury in 2008, the approach worked as SAM quickly provided technical solutions, sufficient finance and program longevity.
Facilitation and support through development cooperation was needed to bring international experience and capacity in –country. But one size does not fit all
Mercury prohibition without viable technical alternatives and capacity does not work. It pushes miners to clandestine mercury use.
7SDC Mongolia • Patience Singo
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Mercury reduction in Mongolia
1990s-2008ASGM Practices• Whole ore amalgamation• Open air burning• Poor chemical management
Interventions• Awareness raising • Field testing of retorts• Government monitoring,
on mercury use
8SDC Mongolia • Patience Singo
2008 April• Government bans mercury use in mining industry
2008- to dateASGM Practices• Mercury free processing • Aware of negative mercury
effects • Clandestine Hg use in areas
without processing plants.
Interventions• Introduction and replication of
Hg free plants• Government monitoring• Technical training • Technology improvement
Step 2
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Further Initiatives for Responsible ASGM and Mercury Reduction
SDC pursuing a joint initiative with UNIDO for the GEF project.
• To replicate Mongolia mercury free successes.• To fill existing gaps and discourage clandestine mercury use.
Fairtrade Fairmined Gold Certification and ecological premiums to provide incentives for miners to move to Hg-free processing
9SDC Mongolia • Patience Singo
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Invitation to Swiss side event
Subsequent to the Technical Briefing.
Information on SDC experiences with ASGM from Latin America and Mongolia
Time: 12:30 to 14:00 (including lunch)
Venue:
10SDC Mongolia • Patience Singo
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11SDC Mongolia • Patience Singo
Thank you!
Formalisation and cleaner gold!Sustainable Artisanal Mining
(SAM) Project