21-26 May 2023, Kara – Togo
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is recognised in Africa, and particularly in West Africa, as one of the income-generating activities for local communities. However, despite the positive economic benefits, particularly in terms of improving living conditions, ASGM requires special attention, particularly in terms of organisation, regulations and sustainable practices that respect human health and the environment.
As part of the implementation of their National Action Plans (NAP) to reduce and, if possible, eliminate the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Côte d'Ivoire and Togo in response to Article 7 and Annex C of the Minamata Convention, a study tour was organised from 21 to 26 May 2023, around the town of Kara, in northern Togo.
The event, organised by Togo's Ministry of the Environment and Forest Resources (MERF) and the African Centre for Environmental Health (CASE), with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Global Mercury Partnership, brought together the implementing and executing agencies, the teams from the two above-mentioned countries, and the Minamata Convention focal points from six countries in the West African region that have also developed their NAPs, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal.
Through various sessions, both indoor and in the field, organised around themes of overall priority and relevance to the West African region as a whole, participants had the opportunity to share their experiences on the implementation of NAP projects, and above all on the actions, challenges and needs for effective implementation of the national strategies proposed in each NAP.
At the end of the study week, the key messages were as follows:
- Site visits and group discussions, including with cooperatives: the group was able to visit four sites, namely the Yamba Copé gold panning site, Asséré in the Binah river, Kéméni in the Tchaoudjo prefecture and Nadoba in the Kéran prefecture.
- Implementation of NAP projects: In their respective presentations and speeches, the countries followed similar processes for implementing their NAP projects, which enabled them to identify the worst practices, including the open burning of gold-mercury amalgam and the burning of amalgam in residential areas, and lead to the development of national strategies, the most common of which include (i) eliminating the worst practices and disseminating sustainable practices, (ii) reducing mercury emissions and discharges and the exposure of populations at risk, (iii) formalising the sector, and (iv) raising stakeholder awareness.
Through these site visits, the participants were able to get to know the Togolese realities on the ground, particularly in terms of human, technical and material capacities, whether for alluvial or hard rock extraction.
During discussions with the cooperatives, as well as with the communities living in the villages adjacent to the artisanal mining sites, it emerged that gold panning in Togo is a subsistence activity associated with agriculture. Topics discussed included the local manufacture of tools, the formalisation of the sector, the impact of mercury on human health and the environment, the gradual rehabilitation of sites, and the structure and operation of cooperatives.
From one site to another, several extraction methods have been observed, but Togo's current specificity is the surface mining of alluvial gold, which does not require mercury amalgamation, as it is mainly based on the gravimetric method. Local knowledge is used for prospecting, mining and pre-treatment.
At the end of the study tour, the recommendations made included (i) strengthening the legal and regulatory frameworks, (ii) promoting collaboration between the various stakeholders, including NGOs, but also between the different countries in the sub-region, (iii) paying attention to preserving riverbanks and rehabilitating abandoned gold panning sites, (iv) updating NAP strategies to take account of realities on the ground, and (v) carrying out an in-depth analysis of the gold value chain in Togo and, by extension, in the sub-region.
Watch the video of the trip for further information
Factsheet: Exploring lessons learned
Read also: Towards mercury-free ASGM in Africa: Turning strategies into actions
