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Artisanal mining risk is harder for companies and governments to manage

The article notes artisanal and small-scale mining underpins livelihoods for more than 40 million people worldwide, but is often largely unregulated in many resource-rich countries.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Mining

Mining.com argues that artisanal and small-scale mining, or ASM, is increasingly treated by mining firms as a material risk, but too often it is managed with incomplete information or only addressed after it disrupts operations or creates environmental and social liabilities. The piece points to examples from major producers. Gold Fields flags illegal and artisanal mining across parts of its operations in Ghana, Peru, and South Africa, and it highlights potential security, reputational, environmental, social, and financial impacts. AngloGold Ashanti similarly lists ASM as a potential source of business disruption, citing environmental, health, safety, security, and liability implications, while Southern Copper says illegal mining at its Los Chancas project in Peru needs to stop before it can resume resource verification drilling and environmental and geotechnical studies. Mining.com also frames ASM as a governance challenge, citing the EITI view that ASM supports livelihoods for more than 40 million people globally and remains largely unregulated in many resource-rich developing countries. The article says that when disclosure language becomes common across filings and transparency reporting, it signals the issue is no longer being treated as exceptional, with implications that can include revenue leakage, deforestation, mercury emissions, concession risk, and supply-chain due diligence.

type_override_if_needed?maybe no field.

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