Background

The extraction of oil, gas and minerals generates windfalls into the national treasury of an increasing number of developing states. While resource windfalls present an opportunity to boost development, in many countries ordinary citizens and people in producing regions don’t experience the change they have expected or were promised. Often, they feel left behind due to negative externalities, which gives rise to frequent disputes and conflicts. Typically, such disputes are further complicated by information asymmetries between government bodies, citizens, civil society and companies.

One way to inform such debates over resource extraction and to promote positive development is to provide independent and publicly available monitoring data on the social, economic, environmental and institutional effects that resource extraction has on producing regions. Such comprehensive data are generally lacking today, and to the extent they are collected, they are either not publicly accessible or not systematised in a way that allows stakeholders to initiate a more nuanced dialogue regarding extractive activities impacts on development.

Project objectives and expected results

Within the larger goal of improving the understanding of the impacts that resource extraction has on development, this research project aimed at developing a methodology and framework for data collection and analysis that allows the monitoring and assessment of the economic, social, environmental and institutional impacts of resource extraction in a comprehensive manner.

The data collection framework was translated into a user-friendly online tool called the “Resource Impact Dashboard” (RID), that provides several functionalities:

• RID supports collection and processing of primary and secondary data, using mobile devices in combination with a cloud-based platform
• RID proposes publicly accessible results in a transparent way, it is most beneficial when used as a regular monitoring tool so that trends become visible and can help negotiate concrete policy measures

At the end of the research project, RID will be hosted by a suitable institution. It will be made available to third party users for application in other extractive projects. The RID platform will therefore evolve over time into a growing data repository on resource extraction and development that will provide additional insights regarding this complex process.

Background

An estimated 16 million people are dependent on Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) – labour intensive, low-tech, gold extraction and processing – the majority living in poverty in low and lower middle-income countries. Yet, despite its positive potential to contribute to sustainable development across all 17 SDGs, ASGM is globally mainly associated with environmental degradation, economic inequality and negative social, labour and health impacts. These negative impacts of ASGM generate critical barriers to sustainability.

For significant sustainability-linked transformation, there is urgent need for better understanding of whether and how gold mining communities can transform their relationships to the natural and social environment to achieve sustainable futures in mining regions. Against this background, this research project is addressing how and whether societal transformation towards sustainability (T2S) can arise in Artisanal & Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM), by examining how existing ASGM dynamics (gold lifeways) can develop into sustainable mining futures.

Project objectives and expected results

Moving beyond normative conceptualisations of sustainability, based on static planning models which often fail to capture the dynamic trajectories already characterizing mining worlds, the present research follows the understanding that societal transformation to sustainability needs to:

• build on endogenous processes of technological and socio-economic change
• recognize flows and mobility as fundamental to conceptualisations of sustainability
• address governance and wellbeing issues through the co-production of knowledge and action with gold miners and mining communities

Through the development of an ASGM Sustainability Transformations’ Framework, the research project’ main goal is to understand the socio-spatially situated character of mining livelihoods, as a key to consider how social and cultural values shape wellbeing, quality of life and identity.

To add value to global research efforts and enhance impact, the project is capitalising on existing ASGM partnerships in Africa and Latin America. Intended outcomes are threefold: first, excellent scientific evidence to enhance knowledge on T2S; second, links to regional practical action; and, third, exploitation of opportunities for policy influence.