Policy Brief: ASM and Climate Change

The relationship between mining and climate change has begun to receive increased attention in research and policy circles (Mutemeri et al., in press). A less explored relationship is that of climate change and artisanal small-scale mining (ASM).

The climate change movement has matured in recent years, signified, most notably, by the signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2016. The role of ASM in African development has also received greater attention with its inclusion in The Africa Mining Vision Action Plan (2011). The relationship between climate change and ASM will become more pronounced in the coming decades due to its bi-causal nature.