Formalizing artisanal and small-scale mining in Mozambique: concerns, priorities and challenges

Hilson, G., Mondlane, S., Hilson, A., Arnall, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6218-5926 and Laing, T. (2021) Formalizing artisanal and small-scale mining in Mozambique: concerns, priorities and challenges. Resources Policy, 71. 102001. ISSN 0301-4207 doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2021.102001

Abstract/Summary

This paper reflects critically on efforts made to formalize artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) – low-tech, labour-intensive mineral extraction and processing – in Mozambique. Drawing on findings from interviews with policymakers, representatives from ASM associations and consultations with 200 individual miners, the paper captures the details of the country’s ASM formalization experience. Findings reveal that despite showing considerable promise at first, the drive to formalize ASM in Mozambique, which spans three decades, has lost considerable momentum. A bureaucratic licensing scheme, overlapping responsibilities at the Estatuto Orgânico do Ministério dos Recursos Minerais e Energia (MIREME), and a shortage of information about miners have contributed to this slowdown. The themes underpinning the efforts to formalize ASM in Mozambique are not new but the case itself has its own unique nuances and storylines.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/95641
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.resourpol.2021.102001
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of International Development
Publisher	Elsevier
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