ASGM Tailings Management and Reprocessing Governance: Global trends

The report examines the environmental and health risks associated with ASGM tailings, which often contain mercury and cyanide. It finds that while large-scale mining (LSM) has robust standards, ASGM lacks specific international and regional tailings governance, relying on general mining codes that are often poorly enforced due to sector informality. The document recommends the creation of an international ASM-specific tailings standard, the implementation of strategic environmental assessments (SEAs), and the development of formalization schemes to improve waste management and recover critical minerals from tailings.

• ASGM is the primary global source of anthropogenic mercury emissions, with an estimated 650 to 1,400 tonnes emitted annually, representing 37% of all such emissions.
• Tailings management in ASGM is generally inadequate due to a lack of technical capacity, leading operators to dispose of waste directly into the natural environment or in unlined ponds without containment.
• The practice of applying cyanide to mercury-laden tailings is identified as a "worst practice" under the Minamata Convention because it creates toxic mercury-cyanide complexes that increase mercury's mobility and toxicity.
• ASGM tailings represent a potential source of critical minerals—such as cobalt, antimony, and rare-earth elements—which could incentivize better waste management and secondary extraction.
• International governance of ASGM tailings is severely limited, consisting primarily of only two chemical-focused guidance documents from UNEP and planetGOLD.
• Most national legal frameworks lack ASM-specific tailings provisions, instead applying general mining codes that create confusion regarding the specific duties of artisanal operators.
• Informality is a primary barrier to sound tailings management, as legislation and regulatory frameworks can only be effectively applied to formal operators.
• Women are heavily involved in the tailings value chain, often relegated to lower-earning and hazardous roles such as waste rock scavenging (e.g., palliris in Bolivia and pallaqueras in Peru).
• Large-scale mining (LSM) operators follow rigorous standards like the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), which could be downscaled to provide a blueprint for ASGM governance.
• Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) are recommended as a superior alternative to site-specific ESIAs for ASGM, as they provide a broader sectoral vision and streamline zoning for mining and waste storage.

APA

Mutemeri, N., de Tomi, G., Naré, C., Bellois, G., Weldegiorgis, F., & Taquiri, J. (2024). ASGM Tailings Management and Reprocessing Governance: Global trends. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/igf-asgm-tailings-management-reprocessing-governance.pdf

Chicago

Mutemeri, Nellie, Giorgio de Tomi, Clémence Naré, Grégoire Bellois, Fitsum Weldegiorgis, and Jaqueline Taquiri. ASGM Tailings Management and Reprocessing Governance: Global trends. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/igf-asgm-tailings-management-reprocessing-governance.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=ASGM Tailings Management and Reprocessing Governance: Global trends |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/igf-asgm-tailings-management-reprocessing-governance.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mutemeri2024asgm, author = {Mutemeri, Nellie and de Tomi, Giorgio and Naré, Clémence and Bellois, Grégoire and Weldegiorgis, Fitsum and Taquiri, Jaqueline}, title = {{ASGM Tailings Management and Reprocessing Governance: Global trends}}, 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.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }