Capacity-building for multi-level governance of ASM in Indonesia

Recent estimates in Indonesia indicate that 500,000 people are directly involved in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), with 3 million people dependent on income generated by ASM activities. While ASM can be a source of poverty alleviation, the ASM sector is frequently associated with significant environmental impacts including mercury pollution and deforestation. ASM activities in Indonesia operate mostly outside of a formal regulated framework. Following a three-year initial phase of the UN-REDD program in 2012, the Government of Indonesia passed several decrees to curb deforestation, including from ASM activities. In 2013, the Government of Indonesia signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a treaty that calls for new measures to formalize and regulate ASM. Now the government needs to increase its understanding of this sector in order to develop appropriate policies and legislation to implement the treaties.

Gender

• The project ensured that women were well represented in all methods of engagement.

Environment

• Investigation of environmental risks and land use dimensions; includes analysis of maps and their limits in showing ASGM activity, deforestation and forest degradation.

Governance

• Stakeholder consultations illuminated governance experiences and challenges regularizing ASGM. Data sharing with local and national government informed policy improvements and improved capacity to regulate ASGM.

The dissemination of the project findings informed national authorities and the international community of policy and legislative challenges related to ASM in Indonesia. Through increased knowledge, local and national officials were equipped to work together towards a sustainable development plan that alleviates poverty. The project also benefits miners by increasing their capacity to engage with government and facilitating access to project data to inform the discussion.