Gouvernance de la gestion et de l'exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle (EMAPE) de l’or : tendances mondiales

The report examines the environmental and socio-economic impacts of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) tailings, highlighting the widespread use of mercury and cyanide and the lack of formal governance frameworks. It argues for the creation of international and regional standards, the formalization of the ASGM sector, and the implementation of gender-sensitive policies to ensure sustainable tailings management and the potential recovery of critical minerals.

• Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) involves approximately 20 million people across 80 countries and contributes up to 20% of the global annual gold supply, though it is often characterized by informal activities and significant environmental damage.
• The management of ASGM tailings is generally inadequate due to a lack of technical expertise and capacity, leading operators to dispose of waste directly into the natural environment without containment or stabilization measures.
• Mercury and cyanide are used indiscriminately in ore processing and tailings reprocessing, with the practice of applying cyanidation to mercury-contaminated tailings identified as one of the worst practices under the Minamata Convention.
• There is a critical gap in governance, as most regions and countries lack specific legal frameworks for ASGM tailings management, often relying on general mining codes or environmental regulations that create confusion for operators.
• ASGM tailings represent a potential source of critical minerals, which could incentivize better management if operators are trained and provided with the necessary information for secondary extraction.
• Women are active participants in the ASGM tailings value chain, yet gender concerns are largely ignored in management approaches, necessitating targeted support for leadership, financing, and childcare.

APA

Mutemeri, N., de Tomi, G., Naré, C., Bellois, G., Weldegiorgis, F., & Taquiri, J. (2024). Gouvernance de la gestion et de l'exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle (EMAPE) de l’or : tendances mondiales. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/igf-asgm-tailings-management-reprocessing-governance-summary-fr.pdf

Chicago

Mutemeri, Nellie, Giorgio de Tomi, Clémence Naré, Grégoire Bellois, Fitsum Weldegiorgis, and Jaqueline Taquiri. Gouvernance de la gestion et de l'exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle (EMAPE) de l’or : tendances mondiales. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/igf-asgm-tailings-management-reprocessing-governance-summary-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mutemeri |first1=Nellie |last2=de Tomi |first2=Giorgio |last3=Naré |first3=Clémence |last4=Bellois |first4=Grégoire |last5=Weldegiorgis |first5=Fitsum |last6=Taquiri |first6=Jaqueline |title=Gouvernance de la gestion et de l'exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle (EMAPE) de l’or : tendances mondiales |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/igf-asgm-tailings-management-reprocessing-governance-summary-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mutemeri2024gouvernance, author = {Mutemeri, Nellie and de Tomi, Giorgio and Naré, Clémence and Bellois, Grégoire and Weldegiorgis, Fitsum and Taquiri, Jaqueline}, title = {{Gouvernance de la gestion et de l'exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle (EMAPE) de l’or : tendances mondiales}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/igf-asgm-tailings-management-reprocessing-governance-summary-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }