Informal Mining Research Articles

Musculoskeletal Disorders In Informal Mining Workers

Introduction: Among the segments and modalities of work, the mining activity is considered problematic with regards to the possibilities of disturbances and occupational diseases that can be of physical, biological and social order.Objective: determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in informal mining workers of the Seridó region in the state of Paraíba.Methods: 371 informal workers from the Seridó region participated in the study. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used for the evaluation of the musculoskeletal symptoms.Results: musculoskeletal symptomatology was reported by the majority of employees in one or more body segments (60.6%, n = 225). The lumbar region was the most affected (36.4%; n = 135). Men showed higher frequency of lumbar problems (p <0.01) than women. Workers of older age reported more musculoskeletal disorders in various body segments. The miners working more hours also reported higher prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in some regions of the body. Those miners with longer service time also reported more musculoskeletal disorders present in some body segments.Conclusion: informal workers from the Seridó region in the state of Paraiba presented high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, with greater problems in the lumbar and dorsal regions. The age, the length of service in the mining and the working hours contributed to the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. It is necessary to consider the working hours, the length of service and the age of workers to propose interventional measures.

Informal Mining in Livelihood Diversification

In the context of mineral extraction in South East Asia, the rural poor are generally portrayed as victims of large, invading corporatized mining enterprises. However, this paper argues that local villagers have also shown considerable agency in taking advantage of the mineral resource boom by diversifying their livelihoods to include informal mining. In South East Asia, the growth of informal mining has occurred within the overall process of agrarian transition. This paper focuses on a mineral-rich valley in southern Laos to highlight the location-specific nature of such transitions. The valley's environmental transformation has both caused and accompanied a modification in the peasant ways of life, and the recent entry of transnational mining companies and the growing market price of tin have fundamentally altered the relationships of the peasants with place, while at the same time encouraging them to claim mineral resource rights in ways that are not accommodated in conventional mining legislation. To conclude, the paper notes the multiple interpretations and contradictions of the increasing mineral dependence among Lao peasants in a rapidly changing world.

Women as marginal workers in informal mining and quarrying, India: a preliminary analysis

This paper presents an analysis of 2001 Indian Census data at the state level on women workers in the mining and quarrying (M&Q) sector. In the absence of official data on informal M&Q, the paper uses the census category of ‘marginal workers’ as a rough indicator of informal employment within this industrial category. The paper has two stages of analysis: first, it presents a state-by-state description of employment of women as main and marginal workers in key minerals; it then correlates income and other social indicators to the proportion of women marginal workers in different mineral categories in order to explore the connections between income, poverty/economic ill-being, caste and other social factors and informal M&Q. It concludes that at the state level, correlations are difficult to draw, and that there is need for further elaborate data for analysis.

Peru’s Media-Friendly Mining Ban Conceals Toxic Inaction

Humala’s 2014 ban on informal mining has made for good press, but done little for the local communities the mines pollute or the majority of mineworkers they employ.

Mineral Governance, Conflicts and Rights: Case Studies on the Informal Mining of Gold, Tin and Coal in Indonesia

Mining had been occurring in Indonesia long before the present nation came into being. The successive governments of the sovereign Indonesian nation-state have felt it necessary to control mineral ...

A cross-sectional survey on knowledge and perceptions of health risks associated with arsenic and mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining in Tanzania.

BackgroundAn estimated 0.5 to 1.5 million informal miners, of whom 30-50% are women, rely on artisanal mining for their livelihood in Tanzania. Mercury, used in the processing gold ore, and arsenic, which is a constituent of some ores, are common occupational exposures that frequently result in widespread environmental contamination. Frequently, the mining activities are conducted haphazardly without regard for environmental, occupational, or community exposure. The primary objective of this study was to assess community risk knowledge and perception of potential mercury and arsenic toxicity and/or exposure from artisanal gold mining in Rwamagasa in northwestern Tanzania.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of respondents in five sub-villages in the Rwamagasa Village located in Geita District in northwestern Tanzania near Lake Victoria was conducted. This area has a history of artisanal gold mining and many of the population continue to work as miners. Using a clustered random selection approach for recruitment, a total of 160 individuals over 18 years of age completed a structured interview.ResultsThe interviews revealed wide variations in knowledge and risk perceptions concerning mercury and arsenic exposure, with 40.6% (n=65) and 89.4% (n=143) not aware of the health effects of mercury and arsenic exposure respectively. Males were significantly more knowledgeable (n=59, 36.9%) than females (n=36, 22.5%) with regard to mercury (x2=3.99, p<0.05). An individual’s occupation category was associated with level of knowledge (x2=22.82, p=<0.001). Individuals involved in mining (n=63, 73.2%) were more knowledgeable about the negative health effects of mercury than individuals in other occupations. Of the few individuals (n=17, 10.6%) who knew about arsenic toxicity, the majority (n=10, 58.8%) were miners.ConclusionsThe knowledge of individuals living in Rwamagasa, Tanzania, an area with a history of artisanal gold mining, varied widely with regard to the health hazards of mercury and arsenic. In these communities there was limited awareness of the threats to health associated with exposure to mercury and arsenic. This lack of knowledge, combined with minimal environmental monitoring and controlled waste management practices, highlights the need for health education, surveillance, and policy changes.

"Creating" Rural Informality: The Case of Artisanal Gold Mining in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper offers a new perspective on the origin of informal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)—the low-tech, labor-intensive extraction and processing of mainly near-surface hard rock and alluvial gold deposits—in rural sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that the conditions that have fueled the sector’s recent rapid growth were brought about by policy changes made by host governments, multilateral organizations, and bilateral agencies. Over the past three decades, these actors have worked in partnership to promote industrial large-scale mineral exploration and excavation activity through increased foreign direct investment, and have simultaneously implemented regulatory frameworks for ASM industries. Previous scholarship has focused on the ASM sector’s sizable environmental footprint, including extensive land degradation and mercury pollution; the sector’s appalling health and safety record; and the many social ills commonly associated with communities where production takes place, such as prostitution and narcotics consumption. This paper will broaden understanding of the sector’s origins through a case study of Ghana’s informal mining economy.

Mining FDI and urban economies in sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring the possible linkages

Since the mid-1990s many African countries have experienced rapid and sustained growth in foreign direct investment associated with the exploitation of oil and mineral resources. This has seen economic growth in some countries rising to levels more generally associated with fast-growth Asian nations. Previous bouts of mining-related commodity booms in parts of the continent were often described as doing little more than mimicking the patterns of colonial-extractive development, thus leading to little in the way of sustained and more widely felt economic transformations. However, in a context where African cities are continuing to grow, it is important to explore the relationships, if any, between this increasingly dominant contributor to GDP and investment in urban centres. This article explores some recent research in an effort to consider what the possible connections between mineral and urban economic trajectories might be with reference to a few selected countries. These include economic opportunities arising from urbanisation itself and those related to backward and forward linkages of both formal and informal mining processes.

Perils and opportunities: artisanal, small-scale and informal mining

FOCUS □ WORKERS'RIGHTSINFORMALANDINFORMAL MINING Perils and opportunities: artisanal, small-scale and informal mining Jobs inthissector are precarious, conditionsare poor,and accident rates are routinely six orseven times higherthanin largerformal operations GLEN MPUFANE isDirector of Mining and DGOJP with IndustriALL Global Union in Geneva Ensuring Artisanal mal mining the Small-Scale labour sector rights is Mining a huge of (ASM) workers challenge or in inforthe for Ensuring Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM)orinformal mining sectoris a huge challengefor unionsandworkers. Whiletradeunionrights are indivisible, the oppositeis truein thissector, whichis dividedand deprived ofa homogenous conceptualisation right acrossthepolicy-making spectrum. Definitions of small-scaleminingor informal miningvaryfromcountry to country. Whilea consensusexistsaboutwhatconstitutes ASMorinformal mining, there existsan extremelyunevenpolicyresponsetowards thissectorof the mining industry, largely because the sector lacksa voiceand an audience,particularly within the international fora,and because of the absenceofa homogenous conceptualisation. ASMis characterised by circumstances devoid of official recognition at worstand grudgingly scantrecognition bytheauthorities, theindustry and in some cases thetradeunions.Whilethe jobs in thissectorare precarious, theconditions are beyond any conformity withnationaland international labourstandards. The International LabourOrganisation ('ILO') estimates thataccidentsratesareroutinely sixorseventimeshigherthaninlarger operations, eveninindustrialised countries. The ASMor informal mining sectoris characterised byexploitation, hazardous working conditions, and unfair pricesfortheirproducts, whichfeedintothemainstream market andtherebykeepsthesector alive,ifbarely so. Many workersselltheir minerals atlowerthanmarket prices to middlemen, who sponsor theiroperations. According to the UnitedNationalsEceonomic Commission forAfrica's 2011report on Minerals and Africa's Development, theincomesof such miners areusually belowthepoverty line,further reinforcing the cycle of poverty. Mineralsproducedwithin thesectorareemployed intechnological devices worldwide, fromColtanin the DRCforuse inmobilephonestolithium forbatteries from Afghanistan, Argentina, andBolivia. The sectoris also vulnerable to the employmentof children, a scourgethatis difficult to eradicatein theabsence of a targeted and specificpolicyattention . According to Communities and Small-Scale MiningCCASM'),a global networkingand coordinating body, an estimated two million children are involvedin thissector (www.artisanalmining.org). Whilethere is no generally agreeddefinition of ASMtheoftenaccepteddescription in terms of theoutput, capitalinvestment, number ofpeople employedor managerialstructure betraysthe establishment's biastowards largescaleindustrial mining as thereference. Thisgenerally accepted description accommodates verysmalloperations that provide subsistence living (e.g. artisanal miningwith pickandshovel;manualorportable panning equipment),to 'junior'companies (e.g. mechanised operation involving severalemployees ) forwhichrevenueand profit aretheprime motivators. A typicalsmall-scale minehas also beencharacterised as one that operates atornear thesurface, workswithnon-complex ore,which requiresnon-complexminingand processing methods, andwouldoperateon estimated, ifnot proven,reserves. It is oftenequatedwithinformal ,unstable orillegal operations that aretypified by completelack of capital,haphazardmining methods, and environmental damageand high healthand safety risks. Itis also often portrayed as an illegitimate mining activity, largely due to theabsenceoffunctioning state regulatory frameworks , enforcement andmonitoring capabilities. By the ILO's estimates, miningaccountsfor about one percentof the world'sworkforce, some30million people.Itis estimated that a further sixmillion peopleworkinsmall-scale mines withabout100million peopleglobally depended on ASMfortheir livelihood. Trade unions and artisanal,small-scale and informal mining Tradeunionstraverse thewholespectrum orcontinuum ofallforms ofproduction andas such,to a varying degree,populatetheproduction landscape ,exceptinthecase ofinformal mining and otherprecarious forms of employment. ASMor informal mining has notbeen able to attract the attention ofthetradeunionmovement withthe resultthattherehas been an almostcomplete absenceoftrade unionactivity. Although thereasonsforthisarevaried , stratification orclassificationas appliedinmining development policy isat therootoftheproblems associated withASMor informal mining. Thistype ofmining policy development , witha focuson thescaleandvolumeof theoperation has and continues to bedevilthe relationship betweenASMor informal mining on theone handandbusiness, trade unions andgovernment ontheother, ina very strange twist tothe logicof theinherent relationship betweenbusiness and tradeunions.Mostgovernment policy articulation andregulation areaimedatlarge scale industrial mining, reflecting a biasagainst theASM and informal mining sector. Thissector is shifted to thepolicymargins and operational periphery thereby increasing itsvulnerability and leadingit toa frequently illegalandinformal status. Disparatetradeunionexperiencesin various countries, mainly intheGlobalSouth,related to attempts to encroachintothissectorhave not coalescedintoconcrete modelsoforganising in thesector. Recognition of the role of the sectorin the mainstream economybytheauthorities canlead INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 10Volume 19Issue 32012 FOCUS □ WORKERS'RIGHTSINFORMALANDINFORMALMINING to a relationship whereASMor informal mining can coexistwithlargescale industrial mining. A processof certification thatlegalisesand integratesASM or informal miningintothe mainstream oftheeconomy canbring certainty, order and stability to theindustry and theassociated remediesto the ills of the sector.The UN's African MiningVisiondescribesthe benefitof recognition and mainstreaming of thesectoras 'harnessing thepotential ofASMtoimprove rural livelihoods, to stimulate entrepreneurship in a socially-responsible manner,to promotelocal and integrated development as well as regional cooperation'. Recognition willalso inevitably open up space andpossibilities fortradeunionactivity. Tradeunionsare alwaysconfronted withthe challenge ofhowtoorganise workers intheASM or informal mining sectorand moreimportantly whether ASMor informal mining lendsitself to thetypeofrepresentation and organisation hithertosymbiotic to...

Safeguarding livelihoods or exacerbating poverty? Artisanal mining and formalization in West Africa

In recent years, policy mechanisms to support a formalized artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector in sub-Saharan Africa have gained increasing currency. Proponents of formalization argue that most social and environmental problems associated with the sector stem from the fact that ASM is predominantly unregulated and operates outside the legal sphere. This paper critically examines recent efforts to formalize artisanal and small-scale mining in West Africa, drawing upon recent fieldwork carried out in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Mali. In exploring the sector's livelihood dimensions, the analysis suggests that bringing unregulated, informal mining activities into the legal domain remains a considerable challenge. The paper concludes by confirming the urgent need to refocus formalization strategies on the main livelihood challenges and constraints of small-scale miners themselves, if poverty is to be alleviated and more benefits are to accrue to depressed communities in mineral-rich regions.

RE‐AGRARIANISING LIVELIHOODS IN POST‐CONFLICT SIERRA LEONE? MINERAL WEALTH AND RURAL CHANGE IN ARTISANAL AND SMALL‐SCALE MINING COMMUNITIES

AbstractIn mineral‐rich regions of Sierra Leone, the diversification of livelihood portfolios is widespread and local actors have long pursued complex and dynamic strategies that involve the intertwining of farming and mining economies. This article examines recent evidence from two impoverished communities in the diamond‐ and gold‐producing regions of the country, where artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM) operations dovetail with agrarian activities. On the one hand, the analysis suggests that income derived from ASM provides valuable investment funds for reviving the agrarian institutions and social networks that are vital to the post‐war rural economy. However, on the other hand, diminishing returns from diamond mining operations coupled with the institutional and policy challenges of the mining sector may also be responsible for persuading some individuals to abandon ASM and encouraging them to re‐orientate their livelihoods more exclusively around farming. In light of these two diverging developments, this article compares and contrasts the potential of artisanal gold and diamond mining as strategies to uplift livelihoods. In doing so, it is argued that a better understanding of the nexus between informal mining and farming activities is essential for alleviating poverty and promoting sustainable rural livelihoods in the post‐war period. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Governance Institutions, Resource Rights Regimes, and the Informal Mining Sector: Regulatory Complexities in Indonesia

This study examines how shifting resource governance regimes affect labor inequities in the small-scale mining sector in Indonesia. It focuses on the implications of governance “decentralization” processes and mining regulation reforms for indigenous and migrant populations who rely on informal (unlicensed) mining for income in Central Kalimantan. While the findings illustrate the territorially uneven impacts of recent reforms, they highlight how dominant paradigms that prioritize the enforcement of property rights schemes have contributed to problems of livelihood insecurity and poor environmental governance. The article urges for more nuanced attention to contested articulations of power as well as local resource rights and institutional arrangements to assist rural communities in reversing marginalization.

Mercury Reduction by Bacteria Isolated from Informal Mining Zones

The aim of this research was the selection of bacterial strains resistant to mercury, as well as to demonstrate their capacity to reduce mercury in solution when they are inoculated in pure and mixed cultures. Samples of soil from informal mining gold sites in Peru were collected and fifteen mercury resistant bacteria were isolated. Strains RM6, RM7, RM9, RM11, RM12 and RM13 were selected for their capacity to reduce mercury in solution. The six bacterial strains belong to the genus Pseudomonas. Inoculated in pure cultures, these strains reduce mercury in solution although in different percentages: RM9, RM11 an RM12 reduce 93% to 97% of the mercury, while strains RM6, RM7 y RM13 reduce 80% to 85%. The consortium of all six bacterial strains showed a mercury reduction of 84%. Approximately 91% of mercury in solution was reduced in 1 hour and this reaction was not associated to bacterial growth. Using specific primers, the merA gene was amplified from genomic DNA of the bacterial strains, which would suggest the activity of the mer operon as a mechanism of mercury resistance. Due to their ability to reduce mercury in solution, it is advisable to carry out more research on the selected strains since they could be useful in future bioremediation processes.

Working in a boom-town: Female perspectives on gold-mining in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, informal mining camps attract girls and women from rural areas because they offer a variety of income generating activities and access to urban consumer goods. Moreover, migration to the mines also allows for a different life-style and greater personal freedom. On the other hand, by going to the mining camps, girls and women risk acquiring a bad reputation in their communities because they are suspected of having illicit sexual relationships. In fact, relationships with gold miners and the material benefits connected with them are among the lures of the gold mines. Thus, from a female perspective migration to the gold mines is fraught with ambivalence, which is expressed in songs performed by female day labourers.

‘May God Give Us Chaos, So That We Can Plunder’: A critique of ‘resource curse’ and conflict theories

Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt scrutinizes the increasingly popular theories of the natural resources curse, natural resource conflicts and natural resource wars. She argues that we need to rethink the issues around resource ownership rights as well as the legal frameworks governing and controlling ownership of the mineral-rich tracts of developing countries. Based on her activist research with mining communities she shows that mineral resource management is characterized by multiple actors with their multiple voices, and it is important for us to recognize these actors and listen to their voices. Contesting the ground Some theories concerning natural resources ^ 'resource security', 'resource conflicts', 'resource wars' and 'resource curse' ^ have entered the popular domain in discussions on resources. Their simplistic and generalizing appeal instigates widespread and uncri- tical acceptance. Therefore, the hidden discourses within them threaten to undermine possible alternative explanations of mineral use by communities in the third world. In this article, Iexpose informal mining practices in order to critique the dominant percep- tions of conflicts over natural resources and to show how they delegitimize the liveli- hoods of many communities. For example, the images of 'paradox of plenty' and resource conflicts suggest deviant and unruly behaviour of the third world poor. The mi- cro-reality is much more complex, involving every day struggles of survival for millions of people in the mineral-rich tracts of these countries. Being of Indian origin, I recognize the emerging mainstream development thinking on resource boons and curses as right in line with the fatalism and deterministic ap- proach of South Asian philosophy. However, after years of working in local commu- nities, Icannot help but feel disturbed by the uncritical use of terminologies and concepts that take for granted a positivist and causal framework in explaining the rela- tionships between communities and mineral resources. My focus is not on curses and boons, but on: 'How do communities pursue livelihoods in mineral-rich tracts in

How have reforms fuelled the expansion of artisanal mining? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

This paper investigates whether and how World Bank mining sector reforms have fuelled the expansion of illegal artisanal mining activity in Sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, the analysis examines three issues. First, the emerging correlation between reforms and poverty, mainly a result of increased unemployment caused by Structural Adjustment Programmes and concurrent privatisation of state-owned enterprises, is explored. Second, the possibility that reform of large-scale mining has decreased available land for peasant farming as well as legalised small-scale mining activity is discussed. Finally, the notion that the regularisation of informal mining activities has been an exceedingly bureaucratic procedure in Africa, therefore providing individuals with little incentive to operate within the legal domain, is examined. Faced with few employment prospects, a growing number of Africans are pursuing employment in the artisanal mining sector, a worrying prospect given its intimate association with environmental degradation and HIV/AIDS.

Prevention of disability at work

Prevention of disability at work

Informality in mineral resource management in Asia: Raising questions relating to community economies and sustainable development

Abstract Informal mining activities provide livelihoods for millions of poor in mineral‐rich developing countries. Yet, they continue to remain one of the least understood areas in mineral resource management. While its poverty reduction potential is acknowledged, the heterogeneous forms of mining that come under its purview are not well discussed. This article aims to draw attention to the politics of definition by briefly introducing the reader to the nomenclature currently used to describe such mining activities. Then the article examines the nature of informality that justifies the name, and then illustrates the claim by documenting a range of informal mining practices in India with cited examples from other Asian countries. It illustrates the variations in social‐economic, technical and legal characteristics, by putting such mining in a community and participatory framework. Finally, the article discusses ways to move towards sustainable development with community participation in mineral‐rich areas of developing countries.

Self-Employment and Poverty Alleviation: Women's Work in Artisanal Gold Mines

Development policy makers increasingly focus on the informal sector as an area to alleviate poverty and promote gender equity. Female self-employment is especially encouraged because higher incomes for women empower them, improve the health of their families, and alleviate poverty in society at large. In this context, development institutions have been urged to increase female participation in artisanal mining. However, knowledge about the gains and costs to women who earn a living in informal, artisanal mines is sparse. This study analyzes women's self-employment in artisanal gold mines in Suriname, South America. The results suggest that if long-term social and health conditions are considered, work in the informal mining sector is not likely to improve the quality of life in the interior of Suriname. The analysis contributes to informal-sector research by focusing on women and on rural regions, two areas of investigation that have received relatively little attention. The author cautions against develo...

Informal coal mining in Eastern India: Evidence from the Raniganj Coalbelt

Unauthorized mines are not uncommon in mineral‐rich regions of poorer countries, and India is no exception. Whether they constitute merely a law and order problem including safety issues, or there are important social and economic questions involved has yet to be thrashed out. The mining industry, at regional, national and international levels, is ambivalent towards such mining, tending to draw attention away from their informal nature to the size factor.This article looks into the problem of such informal mining in the light of empirical surveys in eastern Indian collieries. These are called peoples’ mines and they serve a significant purpose in local economies. The article's thesis is that peasant communities are trying to claim back a portion of the local resources lost to them through appropriation by mining companies thus re‐asserting their traditional rights to local mineral resources. In conclusion, the need for a new moral economy for mining regions is stressed: an economy in which local communities will play a powerful role.