The department of Chocó is one of the most biodiverse regions in Colombia. However, the area has been used as a strategic corridor for illegal activities, halting the inhabitant´s rights and severely damaging both the local communities and the environment.
The artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector (ASGM) is the second most important economic activity after subsistence agriculture. Small scale gold mining suffers from the mismanagement of the resources, the lack of adequate infrastructures and the lack of technical capacities resulting in low gold recovery. Moreover, the ongoing mining practices in the region causes harsh damages to the environment in the form of deforestation, land degradation, water pollution as well as related health problems for the local population.
Additionally, the artisanal gold mining activities in the department are either informal or illegal, and require technification and formalization for the communities formed around this activity to create a more sustainable form of living.
Our project will help the community to progress towards a formal and responsible mining sector, create a sustainable source of income for the local communities, reduce the social and environmental impacts, and link the sector to international markets.
Unión Panamericana
The economic activity in Unión Panamericana centers around mining and timber extraction, the first being the main source of income and jobs of the region.
However, when looking at the technical mining performed in almost all of the Unión Panamericana region, the generation of erosion and high sedimentation in the river banks, is causing for the rivers to lose its cause and invade the residential areas, endangering the communities. Additionally, this activity has impacted directly in the scarcity of fishing in the rivers. The lack of financial and technical assistance, support in the implementation of programs aimed at improving the agricultural practices, and the intense mining activity, have come to play in the low development of the region, despite their evident potential.
AGC (Artisanal Gold Council), is our main partner for the execution of Output 1 of the project. The organization works with Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining communities and local experts to develop tools, activities and solutions that address specific circumstances in the various regions where gold mining is carried out.
Alongside them the project conducted a field trip to Unión Panamericana to understand the expectations, needs and next steps in the implementation of the first component.