How to involve artisanal and small-scale mining of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s socioeconomic development financing

Abandoned mines and artisanal and small-scale mining in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Survey and agenda for future research

Does the education system matter? Exploring in-depth joint school attendance, hazardous and non-hazardous activities in artisanal and small-scale mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The UK’s – and the world’s – ‘green industrial revolution’ is intrinsically tied to the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This largely informal sector produces approximately 12–21% of the world’s cobalt each year – a vital component in the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries powering the global transition to a low carbon economy and employing as many as 200,000 cobalt miners in DRC as well as supporting hundreds of thousands more people in related livelihood activities. Yet many artisanal cobalt miners suffer dangerous working conditions, human rights abuses, and abuses relating to child labour. Addressing these issues of modern slavery in ASM is therefore vital to the achievement of all 17 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG1 No Poverty, SDG13 Climate Action, and crucially, SDG8 Decent Work Economic Growth which includes Target 8.7 to ‘end modern slavery’ – the first international framework specifically using the term modern slavery. However, with ASM largely absent from modern slavery policy formation, there are significant gaps in how the concept is applied and addressed in ASM and overlaps with existing responsible mineral sourcing legislation and initiatives. The aim of this chapter, therefore, is to enhance understanding of how the term modern slavery is applied to ASM activities, examine the accompanying modern slavery legislation regarding ASM, including the 2015 UK Modern Slavery Act, and explore how communities and companies perceive, report, and address such issues in their mineral supply chains. Based on an in-depth review of the literature and drawing on the findings of practical research and training workshops held in the UK and DRC (January–March 2020), four recommendations are made to better address modern slavery in DRC-UK cobalt supply chains. To maximise the development potential of DRC’s ASM cobalt industry, the chapter argues that aside from the moral responsibility, there is a need to clearly demonstrate the market-driven ‘business imperatives’ for companies to engage directly in ASM formalisation initiatives that unlock shared value and move beyond compliance with modern slavery and responsible mineral sourcing and reporting requirements.

Hello, Reddit! We are a team of conservationists and scientists here to discuss artisanal and small-scale mining, its surprising importance to some of our most beloved possessions, and its effects on biodiversity. Let’s discuss! Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)—the mining of metals and minerals by hand, often using tools as simple as a hammer and a pick—-is an enormous part of our industrial supply chain. In fact, ASM is the main source of income for over 40 million people world wide, and is responsible for between 15–20% of all the world’s mineral and metal production. ASM produces huge percentages of the world’s gold, tin, and cobalt supplies, which, as you may know, are all absolutely crucial ingredients to one of our most important possessions- our smart phones. As things stand, there are some serious drawbacks to artisanal and small scale mining. Notably, ASM requires a lot of water to clean the mined materials before they’re ready for sale, and in some cases, numerous poisonous solvents must be used as well. What results is contaminated water, decreased biodiversity, and birth defects—and these are just some of the problems. For these reasons, we’ve been extremely interested lately in potential technological, logistical, and political solutions that could improve the lives of ASM workers and protect their environments. We’re here today with some ideas of our own, but certainly not all the answers. We hope that we can have a lively discussion about artisanal mining, really dig into the issues surrounding it, and maybe even unearth some possible solutions. Today’s discussion is in collaboration with Conservation X Labs, a D.C. based conservation non-profit that acts as an incubator to help innovators and organizations bring great conservation ideas to life and get them out into the world where they can make a difference for the people who need them. Conservation X Labs is putting up $750,000 dollars in prize money in hopes of finding solutions to improve lives of ASM workers and protect their environments. Our discussion-panel guests today are: Alex Dehgan (u/Alex_Dehgan): I am CEO and co-founder of Conservation X Labs. I recently served as the Chief Scientist at USAID, with rank of Assistant Administrator, and co-founded the Global Development Lab. I am also the Chanler Innovator at Duke University and served as Duke’s inaugural David Rubenstein Fellow. Prior to USAID, I worked in multiple positions within the Office of the Secretary, and the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, at the Dept. of State, where I used science and conservation as a diplomatic tool for engagement with countries in the Islamic world, including Iran. I also hold a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings, and a B.S. from Duke University, and am the author of The Snow Leopard Project and Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation. Luis E. Fernandez (u/Luis_E_Fernandez): I am the Executive Director of the Amazon Scientific Innovation Center (CINCIA) and an Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Biology at Wake Forest University. I am a tropical ecologist, as well as an expert in the dynamics and impact of environmental mercury in areas where artisanal mining is common. I have held positions at the Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford University, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Agency. Nicole M. Smith (u/Nicole_M_Smith): I am a cultural anthropologist with research interests in artisanal and small-scale mining; sustainability and social responsibility, as well as engineering education. I am an Assistant Professor in the Mining Engineering Department at the the Colorado School of Mines. I am currently the PI for a U.S. Department of State-funded project addressing mercury use among Peruvian artisanal and small-scale gold miners, as well as the Co-PI on a National Science Foundation-funded project that applies an interdisciplinary, community-centered approach to understanding ASM systems in Colombia and Peru. I am also a research fellow at the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining at the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland and a scholarly affiliate with the Gemstone and Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub. James McQuilken (u/James_McQuilken): I am a Program Officer in Pact’s Mines to Markets program, and the Project Manager and Technical Lead on DELVE, a global data initiative between the World Bank and Pact to develop an online platform on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Based in Kigali, Rwanda, I am also the ASM specialist on Sustainable Development of Mining in Rwanda (SDMR). Based on over a year of fieldwork in Ghana, my PhD thesis maps small-scale mining networks of gold and diamond production and develops policy recommendations to improve mineral certification and formalization initiatives in the region. We’ll be around ~1pm EST to answer your questions and discuss artisanal and small-scale mining with you!

Women position in artisanal and small-scale mining in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic literature review

Analyses of conflict between large-scale mining (LSM) and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba, southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should take into account the equity and fairness considerations linked to the enforcement of the property rights of corporate and other actors. There is a growing empirical record on the negative distributional consequences of LSM companies’ takeover of mining concessions in the DRC. Also considered by some authors, albeit less examined in the literature, is the distributional impact of mechanisms for clandestine extraction from mine sites taken over by LSM firms. Despite common assumptions about ASM being beyond the control of government authorities to tax or regulate, clandestine mining at LSM sites, and the transport of minerals out of these sites, is frequently authorised and informally and efficiently taxed by security forces and other gatekeepers. Despite the pervasiveness of authorised clandestine mining and the frequent use of force to enforce its rules and regulations, artisanal miners also resist such practices and engage in unauthorised clandestine mining – without the knowledge of the security forces, or by using aggressive tactics to bypass them. The key argument in this piece is that arrangements and processes for clandestine extraction, whether authorised or unauthorised, should not simply be viewed as constituting corruption and a conflict risk, but also have distributional effects, including some positive implications in terms of local resource distribution. This article, which focuses on those who rely, directly or indirectly, on ASM, is based on qualitative research in the DRC over seven and a half months from August 2016-May 2017 at two case-study sites in Haut-Katanga and one in Lualaba.

Distributional impact of corporate extraction and (un)authorised clandestine mining at and around large-scale copper- and cobalt-mining sites in DR Congo

Drawing on the DFID’s sustainable livelihood framework, this paper explores the nexus between artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and livelihood in Prestea mining region, Ghana. A cross-sectional mixed method survey involving simple random and purposively sampled participants (N=151) was carried out. The results suggest both positive and negative relationships between ASM and livelihoods of the people. The study found various livelihood assets associated with ASM and how critical assets are adversely affected by ASM activities. Limited employment opportunities in rural areas (82%), economic hardships/poverty situations of people (59%), and “quick” income earnings from ASM (90%) were the major factors that influenced people to combine and use their personal assets to enable them to engage in ASM. ASM contributes to the livelihood enhancement through income generation, increased well-being and asset acquisition (50.7%), reduced vulnerabilities (31.1%), and empowerment of people (19.2%) to establish other economic activities. However, the small-scale miners and farmers as well as farmlands, forest, and water resources are most vulnerable to adverse effects of ASM activities. Accidents of various degrees, diseases, and death were the shocks in ASM. Regarding the massive impact of ASM on employment creation and poverty reduction in rural communities, it is recommended that stakeholders recast Ghana’s mineral policy to ensure concurrent environmental sustainability and socioeconomic development.

Is collaboration possible between the small-scale and large-scale mining sectors? Evidence from ‘Conflict-Free Mining’ in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Greater awareness of the serious human rights abuses associated with the extraction and trade of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has applied increasing pressure for businesses to move towards more responsible and sustainable mineral sourcing. Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) activities in rural and remote locations may provide heightened opportunities to conceal the alleged human rights violations associated with mining, such as: hazardous working conditions, health impacts, child labour, child trafficking, and debt bondage. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of the Intermittent Small Baseline Subset (ISBAS) interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) method, teamed with high temporal frequency Sentinel-1 imagery, for monitoring ASM activity in rural locations of the “Copperbelt”, the DRC. The results show that the ISBAS descriptive variables (mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum) were significantly different (p-value = ≤ 0.05) between mining and non-mining areas. Additionally, a significant difference was found for the ISBAS descriptive variables mean, standard deviation, and minimum between the different mine types (industrial, surface, and tunnels). As expected, a high level of subsidence (i.e., negative ISBAS pixel value) was a clear indicator of mine activity. Trial activity thresholds were set for the descriptive variables mean (-2.43 mm/yr) and minimum (-5.36 mm/yr) to explore an ISBAS approach to active mine identification. The study concluded that the ISBAS method has great potential as a monitoring tool for ASM, with the ability to separate mining and non-mining areas based on surface motion values, and further distinguish the different mine types (industrial, surface, and tunnel). Ground data collection and further development of ISBAS analysis needs to be made to fully understand the value of an ISBAS-based ASM monitoring system. In particular, surrounding the impact of seasonality relative to longer-term trends in ASM activity.

Drawing on the DFID’s sustainable livelihood framework, this paper explores the nexus between artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and livelihood in Prestea mining region, Ghana. A cross-sectional mixed method survey involving simple random and purposively sampled participants (N=151) was carried out. The results suggest both positive and negative relationships between ASM and livelihoods of the people. The study found various livelihood assets associated with ASM and how critical assets are adversely affected by ASM activities. Limited employment opportunities in rural areas (82%), economic hardships/poverty situations of people (59%), and “quick” income earnings from ASM (90%) were the major factors that influenced people to combine and use their personal assets to enable them to engage in ASM. ASM contributes to the livelihood enhancement through income generation, increased well-being and asset acquisition (50.7%), reduced vulnerabilities (31.1%), and empowerment of people (19.2%) to establish other economic activities. However, the small-scale miners and farmers as well as farmlands, forest, and water resources are most vulnerable to adverse effects of ASM activities. Accidents of various degrees, diseases, and death were the shocks in ASM. Regarding the massive impact of ASM on employment creation and poverty reduction in rural communities, it is recommended that stakeholders recast Ghana’s mineral policy to ensure concurrent environmental sustainability and socioeconomic development.

Graduate unemployment, artisanal and small-scale mining, and rural transformation in Ghana: What does the ‘educated’ youth involvement offer?

A dangerous bet: The challenges of formalizing artisanal mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo

“This mine has become our farmland": Critical perspectives on the coevolution of artisanal mining and conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Net-zero technologies and the electrification of transport rely heavily on cobalt-containing equipment. Growing demand for cobalt entails environmental, social and economic sustainability risks of cobalt mining, particularly artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Many studies have raised the importance of motivating stakeholders to source cobalt responsibly. Through a systematic literature review, we identify nine sustainability risks that need to be addressed in the cobalt supply chain, analyse measures for incentivising responsible cobalt sourcing, and map links between the sustainability risks and the measures, to elaborate on the engagement of downstream stakeholders and identify methodological gaps. We group such measures into four incentive mechanisms, where integrating ASM into the cobalt supply chain while further formalising the ASM sector (Incentive Mechanism III) is the key to addressing most sustainability risks. Further deconstructing Incentive Mechanism III demonstrates that upstream stakeholders and governments shoulder most responsibility for its implementation. Engagement of downstream companies (such as electric vehicle manufacturers) is inadequate, given their significant influence both on consumers and on the cobalt supply chain. To engage downstream stakeholders more actively, we recommend establishing dedicated ASM funding pools and providing training for ASM communities.