IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jrpoli/v34y2009i1-2p45-50.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Artisanal mining in central Mozambique: Policy and environmental issues of concern

Author

Listed:
  • Dondeyne, S.
  • Ndunguru, E.
  • Rafael, P.
  • Bannerman, J.

Abstract

This paper analyses current policy and legislation in relation to the praxis of artisanal gold mining in Mozambique. Approximately 20,000 people are involved in artisanal mining in central Mozambique, producing annually 480-600kg of gold, 85-90% of which remains in the informal economy. The current legislation, however, is inadequate: artisanal mining is supposed to take place in predetermined "designated areas", none of which are gold-rich, and, artisanal miners are supposed to get an individual mining pass from provincial authorities, which rarely occurs. Artisanal miners' associations get support from the Mining Development Fund. Yet, as these organisations are only viable where ore permits long lasting exploitation, their members represent less than 30% of the workforce. Hence the scope for improving miners' working conditions and limiting their environmental impact through this type of organisation is limited. On the other hand, siltation of rivers and their pollution with heavy metals goes unchecked while the prohibition of artisanal mining, in and around conservation areas has proven counterproductive. The design of more appropriate policies, particularly those pertaining to the environment, hinges upon a better understanding of the socio-economic dynamics of the sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Dondeyne, S. & Ndunguru, E. & Rafael, P. & Bannerman, J., 2009. "Artisanal mining in central Mozambique: Policy and environmental issues of concern," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1-2), pages 45-50.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:34:y:2009:i:1-2:p:45-50
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301-4207(08)00074-3
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hilson, Gavin, 2008. "'A load too heavy': Critical reflections on the child labor problem in Africa's small-scale mining sector," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 1233-1245, November.
    2. Amankwah, R.K. & Anim-Sackey, C., 2003. "Strategies for sustainable development of the small-scale gold and diamond mining industry of Ghana," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(3-4), pages 131-138.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Samuel J. Spiegel, 2009. "Labour challenges and mercury management at gold mills in Zimbabwe: Examining production processes and proposals for change," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 33(3), pages 221-232, August.
    2. Hilson, Gavin & Sauerwein, Titus & Owen, John, 2020. "Large and artisanal scale mine development: The case for autonomous co-existence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    3. Perks, Rachel, 2012. "How can public–private partnerships contribute to security and human rights policy and practice in the extractive industries? A case study of The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 251-260.
    4. Hermínio Cossa & Rahel Scheidegger & Andrea Leuenberger & Priska Ammann & Khátia Munguambe & Jürg Utzinger & Eusébio Macete & Mirko S. Winkler, 2021. "Health Studies in the Context of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-24, February.
    5. Spiegel, Samuel J., 2009. "Socioeconomic dimensions of mercury pollution abatement: Engaging artisanal mining communities in Sub-Saharan Africa," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 3072-3083, October.
    6. Samuel Spiegel & Susan Keane & Steve Metcalf & Marcello Veiga, 2015. "Implications of the Minamata Convention on Mercury for informal gold mining in Sub-Saharan Africa: from global policy debates to grassroots implementation?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 765-785, August.
    7. Saldarriaga-Isaza, Adrián & Villegas-Palacio, Clara & Arango, Santiago, 2013. "The public good dilemma of a non-renewable common resource: A look at the facts of artisanal gold mining," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 224-232.
    8. Bach, Vanessa & Finogenova, Natalia & Berger, Markus & Winter, Lisa & Finkbeiner, Matthias, 2017. "Enhancing the assessment of critical resource use at the country level with the SCARCE method – Case study of Germany," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 283-299.
    9. Fritz, Morgane M.C. & Maxson, Peter A. & Baumgartner, Rupert J., 2016. "The mercury supply chain, stakeholders and their responsibilities in the quest for mercury-free gold," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 177-192.
    10. Hilson, Gavin & Mondlane, Salvador & Hilson, Abigail & Arnall, Alex & Laing, Tim, 2021. "Formalizing artisanal and small-scale mining in Mozambique: Concerns, priorities and challenges," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    11. Biswas, Amit K. & Farzanegan, Mohammad Reza & Thum, Marcel, 2012. "Pollution, shadow economy and corruption: Theory and evidence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 114-125.
    12. Hilson, Gavin & Ackah-Baidoo, Abigail, 2011. "Can Microcredit Services Alleviate Hardship in African Small-scale Mining Communities?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 1191-1203, July.
    13. James Temitope Dada & Folorunsho Monsur Ajide & Adams Adeiza, 2022. "Shadow Economy and Environmental Pollution in West African Countries: The Role of Institutions," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 14(3), pages 366-389, September.
    14. Hirons, Mark, 2014. "Shifting sand, shifting livelihoods? Reflections on a coastal gold rush in Ghana," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 83-89.
    15. Lala Safiatou Ouedraogo & Patrick Mundler, 2019. "Local Governance and Labor Organizations on Artisanal Gold Mining Sites in Burkina Faso," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Poignant, Adrian, 2023. "Small-scale mining and agriculture: Evidence from northwestern Tanzania," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Gatsinzi, Angelique & Hilson, Gavin, 2022. "‘Age is just a number’: Articulating the cultural dimension of child labour in Africa's small-scale mining sector," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    3. Yakovleva, Natalia, 2007. "Perspectives on female participation in artisanal and small-scale mining: A case study of Birim North District of Ghana," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1-2), pages 29-41.
    4. Joeri Smits & Yibekal Tessema & Takuto Sakamoto & Richard Schodde, 2016. "The inequality-resource curse of conflict: Heterogeneous effects of mineral deposit discoveries," WIDER Working Paper Series 046, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Schütte, Philip & Näher, Uwe, 2020. "Tantalum supply from artisanal and small-scale mining: A mineral economic evaluation of coltan production and trade dynamics in Africa's Great Lakes region," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    6. Yeboah, Samuel & James Nyarkoh, Bright, 2022. "The Impact of Mining on the Ghanaian Economy: A Comprehensive Review (1992-2020)," MPRA Paper 117502, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 11 Jan 2023.
    7. Owusu, Obed & Wireko, Ishmael & Mensah, Albert Kobina, 2016. "The performance of the mining sector in Ghana: A decomposition analysis of the relative contribution of price and output to revenue growth," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 214-223.
    8. Ofentse William Marutle & Olebogeng David Daw, 2017. "The Significance of Mining Infrastructural Development on South African Economy from 1980-2013: An Econometric Approach," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 9(3), pages 73-81.
    9. Amidu Kalokoh & Lada V. Kochtcheeva, 2022. "Governing the artisanal gold mining sector in the Mano River Union: A comparative study of Liberia and Sierra Leone," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(7), pages 1398-1413, October.
    10. Sadia Banchirigah & Gavin Hilson, 2010. "De-agrarianization, re-agrarianization and local economic development: Re-orientating livelihoods in African artisanal mining communities," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 43(2), pages 157-180, June.
    11. Sinan Erzurumlu, S. & Erzurumlu, Yaman O., 2015. "Sustainable mining development with community using design thinking and multi-criteria decision analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(P1), pages 6-14.
    12. Saldarriaga-Isaza, Adrián & Villegas-Palacio, Clara & Arango, Santiago, 2013. "The public good dilemma of a non-renewable common resource: A look at the facts of artisanal gold mining," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 224-232.
    13. Francis Xavier Dery Tuokuu & Uwafiokun Idemudia & Eugene B. G Bawelle & John Bosco Baguri Sumani, 2020. "Criminalization of “galamsey” and livelihoods in Ghana: Limits and consequences," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(1), pages 52-65, February.
    14. Verina Ingram & Julius Chupezi Tieguhong & Jolien Schure & Eric Nkamgnia & Maurice Henri Tadjuidje, 2011. "Where artisanal mines and forest meet: Socio‐economic and environmental impacts in the Congo Basin," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 35(4), pages 304-320, November.
    15. Arthur-Holmes, Francis & Abrefa Busia, Kwaku, 2020. "Household dynamics and the bargaining power of women in artisanal and small-scale mining in sub-Saharan Africa: A Ghanaian case study," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    16. Gavin Hilson & Chris Garforth, 2012. "‘Agricultural Poverty’ and the Expansion of Artisanal Mining in Sub-Saharan Africa: Experiences from Southwest Mali and Southeast Ghana," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(3), pages 435-464, June.
    17. Lu, Jixia & Lora-Wainwright, Anna, 2014. "Historicizing Sustainable Livelihoods: A Pathways Approach to Lead Mining in Rural Central China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 189-200.
    18. Milanez, Bruno & Puppim de Oliveira, Jose Antonio, 2013. "Innovation for sustainable development in artisanal mining: Advances in a cluster of opal mining in Brazil," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 427-434.
    19. Itohan Otoijamun & Moses Kigozi & Sikiru Ottan Abdulraman & Adelana Rasak Adetunji & Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, 2021. "Fostering the Sustainability of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) of Barite in Nasarawa State, Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, May.
    20. Banchirigah, Sadia Mohammed, 2008. "Challenges with eradicating illegal mining in Ghana: A perspective from the grassroots," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 29-38, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:34:y:2009:i:1-2:p:45-50. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/30467 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.