Abstract

Artisanal gold mining is currently the largest contributor of global environmental mercury. Gold has been mined in the area around the small town of Las Juntas in northwestern Costa Rica for over 100 years originally through large scale industrial operations. Today, industrial gold-mining is gone, but the old tunnels are still worked by local artisanal miners who risk their lives and health, and continue to process the gold using mercury. The rising price of gold and lack of other economic opportunity has motivated more locals to enter the mines creating a regional economy centered on environmental exploitation amid a nation dedicated to conserving natural resources. In this study we examine the history, current day practice and potential for improving the sustainability of small, scale artisanal gold mining in this area. Through interviews and photographs, we have documented the tight linkage between the human experience and ecology of this community. Given that artisanal gold mining provides an important source of livelihood for rural communities throughout the world, particularly in the global south, this case study can increase awareness of the environmental and human implications of gold extraction. Also offered, are the broadly applicable sustainable approaches to protecting the environment by recognizing the needs of individuals and communities whose heritage and livelihood come from this activity, and that the approach that stakeholders are taking to accomplish this including introducing new extraction approaches that do not use mercury and increase yield.

Presenters

Richard Niesenbaum
Professor and Director of Sustainability Studies, Biology and Sustainability Studies, Muhlenberg College, Pennsylvania, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Sustainability in Economic, Social, and Cultural Context

KEYWORDS

Costa Rica, Mining, Gold, Mercury, Stakeholders, Pollution, Livelihoods, Communities

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