Reducing Mercury Pollution in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM)

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a

significant global development issue.

As a vital contributor to the Philippine economy, the

magnitude of pollution from small-scale gold mining

activities presents a major threat to human health and

the environment.

For Ban Toxics and the international community, the

prevalent use of mercury among ASGM communities

in the Philippines is a major disaster waiting to

happen – and correlates to an even more serious

threat to the health of the people, its environment

and the rest of the world.

An urgent action is needed to address

this major problem – and requires partnership

among the CSOs and the international community,

local governments and ASGM communities.

The Project,

Reducing Mercury Pollution in ASGM aims to

prevent mercury pollution by technical training,

awareness raising and strengthening of civil

society organizations to eliminate the use of

mercury in small scale gold mining.

One of the project sites in

Ga’ang, Kalinga,

exhibited a very positive response to

BAN Toxic’s intervention.

The outcome of BT’s

three-year presence in the area resulted to

the conversion of 95% of the small-scale

miners in Ga’ang to use mercury-free

methods.

This translates to preventing at least 2

tons of mercury from being

released during the mining process.

This success would not have been possible without

the miners’ openness to change, the local

government’s support, and the wisdom of the

elders of the Banao-Bodong Association to

understand the problem. And they acted on it.

Special thanks to:

Dialogos

University of Copenhagen

GEUS

ICOEPH

Photos by:Buck Pago for BAN Toxics

2014

Music by: Lakbay Lahi

2008