Editing Gold mining (section)

==Adverse effects and responses==
{{Pollution sidebar|Solid waste}}
{{see also|Gold#Pollution|List of gold mining disasters}}

===Impact===

==== Environmental impacts ====
Gold mining can significantly alter the natural environment. Gold mining activities in tropical forests are increasingly causing deforestation along rivers and in remote areas rich in biodiversity.<ref name="Asner2">{{cite journal |last1=Asner |first1=G. P. |last2=Llactayo |first2=W. |last3=Tupayachi |first3=R. |last4=Luna |first4=E. R. |year=2015 |title=Elevated rates of gold mining in the Amazon revealed through high-resolution monitoring |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=110 |issue=46 |pages=18454–18459 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1318271110 |pmc=3832012 |pmid=24167281 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Alvarez2">{{cite journal |author1=Alvarez, N.L |author2=T. M. Aide |year=2015 |title=Global demand for gold is another threat for tropical forests |journal=Environmental Research Letters |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=014006 |bibcode=2015ERL....10a4006A |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/10/1/014006 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Mining has increased rainforest loss up to 70&nbsp;km beyond lease boundaries, causing nearly 11,670&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of deforestation between 2005 and 2015.<ref name=":16">{{Cite journal |last1=Sonter |first1=Laura J. |last2=Herrera |first2=Diego |last3=Barrett |first3=Damian J. |last4=Galford |first4=Gillian L. |last5=Moran |first5=Chris J. |last6=Soares-Filho |first6=Britaldo S. |date=2017 |title=Mining drives extensive deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon |journal=Nature Communications |language=en |volume=8 |issue=1 |page=1013 |doi=10.1038/s41467-017-00557-w |issn=2041-1723 |pmc=5647322 |pmid=29044104|bibcode=2017NatCo...8.1013S }}</ref> Up to 9% of gold mining occurs outside of these regulated lease boundaries.<ref name=":16" /> Other gold mining impacts, particularly in aquatic systems with residual cyanide or mercury (used in the recovery of gold from ore), can be highly toxic to people and wildlife even at relatively low concentrations.<ref>[http://www.cyanidecode.org/cyanide_environmental.php Environmental and Health Effects] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130094124/http://www.cyanidecode.org/cyanide_environmental.php|date=30 November 2012}}. Cyanidecode.org. Retrieved on 26 October 2010.</ref> Illegal gold mining exacerbates the ecological vulnerability of the remaining forest ultimately leading to permanent forest loss.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zemp |first1=D. C. |last2=Schleussner |first2=C.-F. |last3=Barbosa |first3=H. M. J. |last4=Rammig |first4=A. |date=2017-06-28 |title=Deforestation effects on Amazon forest resilience |url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL072955 |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |language=en |volume=44 |issue=12 |pages=6182–6190 |bibcode=2017GeoRL..44.6182Z |doi=10.1002/2017GL072955 |issn=0094-8276|hdl=11603/34770 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Gold mining clears native forests for mineral extraction, but also indirectly facilitates access to more land and further clearing. Rainforest recovery rates are the lowest ever recorded for tropical forests, with there being little to no tree regeneration at abandoned mining camps, even after several years.<ref name=":14">{{Cite journal |last1=Kalamandeen |first1=Michelle |last2=Gloor |first2=Emanuel |last3=Johnson |first3=Isaac |last4=Agard |first4=Shenelle |last5=Katow |first5=Martin |last6=Vanbrooke |first6=Ashmore |last7=Ashley |first7=David |last8=Batterman |first8=Sarah A. |last9=Ziv |first9=Guy |last10=Holder-Collins |first10=Kaslyn |last11=Phillips |first11=Oliver L. |last12=Brondizio |first12=Eduardo S. |last13=Vieira |first13=Ima |last14=Galbraith |first14=David |date=2020 |editor-last=Magrach |editor-first=Ainhoa |title=Limited biomass recovery from gold mining in Amazonian forests |url=https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.13669 |journal=Journal of Applied Ecology |language=en |volume=57 |issue=9 |pages=1730–1740 |bibcode=2020JApEc..57.1730K |doi=10.1111/1365-2664.13669 |issn=0021-8901}}</ref> The [[Amazon rainforest]] is at risk for 'savannization', which is the gradual transformation of a tropical rainforest into a savannah.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Asner |first1=Gregory P. |last2=Tupayachi |first2=Raul |date=2017 |title=Accelerated losses of protected forests from gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon |journal=Environmental Research Letters |language=en |volume=12 |issue=9 |pages=094004 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/aa7dab |issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free |bibcode=2017ERL....12i4004A }}</ref><ref name=":152">{{Cite journal |last1=Nobre |first1=Carlos A. |last2=Sampaio |first2=Gilvan |last3=Borma |first3=Laura S. |last4=Castilla-Rubio |first4=Juan Carlos |last5=Silva |first5=José S. |last6=Cardoso |first6=Manoel |date=2016-09-27 |title=Land-use and climate change risks in the Amazon and the need of a novel sustainable development paradigm |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=113 |issue=39 |pages=10759–10768 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1605516113 |doi-access=free |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=5047175 |pmid=27638214|bibcode=2016PNAS..11310759N }}</ref> This would ultimately lead to a collapse of biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate.<ref name=":152" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Piauí |first=F. |date=2021 |title=In Brazilian Amazon, savannization and climate change will expose 12 million to lethal heat stress |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-10-brazilian-amazon-savannization-climate-expose.html#:~:text=In%20this%20region%2C%20approximately%2012,such%20effects%20as%20mass%20migration. }}</ref>

Gold mining produces more waste than mining of other minerals, because it can be mined at a lower grade. Tailings can contain lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. These toxins can pose health risks for local communities.<ref name=":03"/> [[Arsenic]] is typically found in gold-containing ores, and gold processing may [[Arsenic contamination of groundwater|contaminate groundwater]] or the atmosphere. This pollution may persist for decades.<ref>{{Citation |last=Eisler |first=Ronald |title=Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology |date=2004 |volume=180 |pages=133–165 |access-date=2023-06-12 |chapter=Arsenic Hazards to Humans, Plants, and Animals from Gold Mining |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-21729-0_3 |place=New York, NY |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/0-387-21729-0_3 |isbn=978-0-387-21729-1 |pmid=14561078}}</ref> Furthermore, mining operations use large quantities of water for processing ore and can result in the contamination of water sources with heavy metals, such as [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] and [[Cyanide poisoning|cyanide]], used in the extraction process.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Eisler |first1=Ronald |title=Cyanide Hazards to Plants and Animals from Gold Mining and Related Water Issues |date=2004 |journal=Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology |pages=21–54 |editor-last=Ware |editor-first=George W. |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9100-3_2 |access-date=2024-03-22 |place=New York, NY |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4419-9100-3_2 |isbn=978-1-4419-9100-3 |last2=Wiemeyer |first2=Stanley N.|volume=183 |pmid=15369321 |bibcode=2004ArECT.183...21E |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kazapoe |first1=Raymond Webrah |last2=Amuah |first2=Ebenezer Ebo Yahans |last3=Abdiwali |first3=Saad Ahmed |last4=Dankwa |first4=Paul |last5=Nang |first5=Douti Biyogue |last6=Kazapoe |first6=Jesse Pwayivi |last7=Kpiebaya |first7=Prosper |date=2023-08-01 |title=Relationship between small-scale gold mining activities and water use in Ghana: A review of policy documents aimed at protecting water bodies in mining communities |journal=Environmental Challenges |volume=12 |pages=100727 |doi=10.1016/j.envc.2023.100727 |issn=2667-0100|doi-access=free }}</ref> This pollution can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. [[Soil degradation]] has also been found to be impacted by gold mining.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Batterman |first1=Sarah A. |last2=Hedin |first2=Lars O. |last3=van Breugel |first3=Michiel |last4=Ransijn |first4=Johannes |last5=Craven |first5=Dylan J. |last6=Hall |first6=Jefferson S. |date=2013 |title=Key role of symbiotic dinitrogen fixation in tropical forest secondary succession |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/nature12525 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=502 |issue=7470 |pages=224–227 |doi=10.1038/nature12525 |pmid=24037375 |bibcode=2013Natur.502..224B |issn=1476-4687|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":16" /><ref name=":17">{{Cite journal |last1=Román-Dañobeytia |first1=Francisco |last2=Cabanillas |first2=France |last3=Lefebvre |first3=David |last4=Farfan |first4=Jhon |last5=Alferez |first5=Jesús |last6=Polo-Villanueva |first6=Fredy |last7=Llacsahuanga |first7=Juana |last8=Vega |first8=Claudia M. |last9=Velasquez |first9=Manuel |last10=Corvera |first10=Ronald |last11=Condori |first11=Edith |last12=Ascorra |first12=Cesar |last13=Fernandez |first13=Luis E. |last14=Silman |first14=Miles R. |date=2021 |title=Survival and early growth of 51 tropical tree species in areas degraded by artisanal gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon |journal=Ecological Engineering |volume=159 |pages=106097 |doi=10.1016/j.ecoleng.2020.106097 |issn=0925-8574|doi-access=free |bibcode=2021EcEng.15906097R }}</ref> Mining activities can disturb soil structure, leading to erosion, sedimentation of waterways, and loss of fertile land for agriculture or vegetation regrowth.<ref name=":16" /><ref name=":17" /> More evidently, dust and emissions from mining machiner and processing facilities can contribute to air pollution, impacting air quality and potentially causings respiratory problems for nearby communities.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ames |first=R.G |date=1985 |title=Respiratory disease and suicide among US coal miners: is there a relationship? |journal=American Journal of Preventive Medicine |volume=1 |issue=6 |pages=58–60|doi=10.1016/S0749-3797(18)31379-5 |pmid=3870926 }}</ref><ref name=":18">{{Cite journal |last1=Avery |first1=A.J |last2=Betts |first2=D.S |last3=Whittington |first3=A |last4=Heron |first4=T.B |last5=Wilson |first5=S.H |last6=Reeves |first6=J.P |date=1998 |title=The mental and physical health of miners following the 1992 national pit closure programme: a cross sectional survey using General Health Questionnaire GHQ-12 and Short Form SF-36 |journal=Public Health |volume=112 |issue=3 |pages=169–173|pmid=9629024 }}</ref>

==== Social and cultural impacts ====
Large-scale gold mining projects may require land acquisition and resettlement of local communities, leading to displacement, loss of livelihoods, and disruption of traditional ways of life.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nguyen |first1=Nhi |last2=Boruff |first2=Bryan |last3=Tonts |first3=Matthew |date=2018 |title=Fool's Gold: Understanding Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts from Gold Mining in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam |journal=Sustainability |language=en |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=1355 |doi=10.3390/su10051355 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2018Sust...10.1355N |issn=2071-1050}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Betancur-Corredor |first1=Bibiana |last2=Loaiza-Usuga |first2=Juan Carlos |last3=Denich |first3=Manfred |last4=Borgemeister |first4=Christian |date=2018-10-20 |title=Gold mining as a potential driver of development in Colombia: Challenges and opportunities |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652618321279 |journal=Journal of Cleaner Production |volume=199 |pages=538–553 |doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.142 |bibcode=2018JCPro.199..538B |issn=0959-6526|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In addition to the possible respiratory problems that could be acquired, individuals may be exposed to hazardous chemicals used in gold extraction such as mercury and cyanide. These chemicals pose risks to gold miners, communities, and wildlife, resulting in further medical problems involving [[neurological disorder]]s and [[waterborne disease]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Eisler |first=Ronald |date=2003-09-01 |title=Health Risks of Gold Miners: A Synoptic Review |url=https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024573701073 |journal=Environmental Geochemistry and Health |language=en |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=325–345 |doi=10.1023/A:1024573701073 |pmid=12971253 |bibcode=2003EnvGH..25..325E |issn=1573-2983|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":18"/>

Gold mining in some regions has been associated with conflicts over land rights, labour rights violations, and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including Indigenous peoples and artisanal miners.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Harington |first1=J.S |last2=McGlashan |first2=ND |last3=Chelkowska |first3=E |date=2004 |title=A century of migrant labour in the gold mines of South Africa |journal=Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy |volume=104 |issue=2 |pages=65–71}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gibson |first1=Ginger |last2=Klinck |first2=Jason |date=2005 |title=Canada's resilient north: the impact of mining on aboriginal communities |journal=Pimatisiwin |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=116–139}}</ref> Mining activities can damage or destroy cultural heritage sites, artifacts, and sacred areas, further impacting cultural identities and heritages. In the Amazon rainforest, Indigenous peoples have been killed and had their rightfully owned land stolen from them.<ref name=":19">{{Cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=E. |last2=Peter |first2=F. |date=1988 |title=Deforestation and Indians in Brazilian Amazonia |chapter-url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219288/ |journal=Biodiversity |chapter=15 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=National Academies Press}}</ref> As a consequence of this, some have left the rainforest to move to cities which further puts them at risk to disease, homelessness, and poverty.<ref name=":19" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bachega |first=Hugo |date=2021 |title=Illegal gold miners stalk Amazon as authorities look away |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57157017 |website=BBC}}</ref>

Artisanal gold mining is widespread across [[Africa]], occurring in numerous countries including [[Ghana]], [[Mali]], [[Burkina Faso]], [[Tanzania]], [[Zimbabwe]], and many others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold mining, climate change, and Africa's transition |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/gold-mining-climate-change-and-africas-transition/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref> For many individuals and communities in rural Africa, [[Gold mining in Africa|artisanal gold mining]] represents a critical source of income and livelihood, providing employment opportunities and economic support in regions with limited alternative options.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/907131520 |title=The Oxford handbook of Africa and economics |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-968711-4 |editor-last=Monga |editor-first=Célestin |edition=1st |series=Oxford handbooks |location=Oxford, United Kingdom |oclc=907131520 |editor-last2=Lin |editor-first2=Justin Yifu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=Duncan |last2=Desai |first2=Nirdev |last3=Lee-Thorp |first3=Julia |author-link3=Julia Lee-Thorp |date=2000 |title=Indigenous Gold Mining in Southern Africa: A Review |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3858050 |journal=Goodwin Series |volume=8 |pages=91–99 |doi=10.2307/3858050 |jstor=3858050|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Artisanal mining operations vary in scale, from individuals panning for gold in rivers and streams, to small groups working collectibely in informal mining camps, often referred to as '[[galamsey]]' in [[West Africa]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Greef |first=Kimon de |date=2023-02-20 |title=The Dystopian Underworld of South Africa's Illegal Gold Mines |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/27/the-dystopian-underworld-of-south-africas-illegal-gold-mines |access-date=2024-04-11 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref>

==== Economic impacts ====
Gold mining can create employment opportunities in mining operations and related sectors. Howevers, these jobs may be temporary. The sector's reliance on fluctuating global gold prices can lead to economic stability for communities dependent on mining. The discovery of significant gold deposits in a region often sees a flood of resources and development, which lasts as long as the mines are economic. When goldfields begin to decline in production, local economies find themselves destabilised and overly reliant upon an industry that will inevitably abandon the region when gold deposits are sufficiently depleted;<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/68913299 |title=Growth and development in South Africa's heartland: silence, exit, and voice in the Free State : abridged |date=2005 |publisher=Centre for Development and Enterprise |place=Johannesburg |oclc=68913299}}</ref><ref name=":42">{{Cite journal |last1=Siqueira-Gay |first1=Juliana |last2=Sonter |first2=Laura J. |last3=Sánchez |first3=Luis E. |date=2020-08-01 |title=Exploring potential impacts of mining on forest loss and fragmentation within a biodiverse region of Brazil's northeastern Amazon |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420719307470 |journal=Resources Policy |volume=67 |pages=101662 |bibcode=2020RePol..6701662S |doi=10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101662 |issn=0301-4207 |s2cid=216493246|url-access=subscription }}</ref> leaving the areas without proper rehabilitation.<ref name=":42" />

The some instances, the '[[resource curse]]' phenomenon may occur, where countries rich in natural resources, like gold, may experience economic challenges, corruption, inequality, and governance issues instead of sustained development.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Davis |first1=Graham A. |last2=Tilton |first2=John E. |date=2005 |title=The resource curse |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1477-8947.2005.00133.x |journal=Natural Resources Forum |language=en |volume=29 |issue=3 |pages=233–242 |doi=10.1111/j.1477-8947.2005.00133.x |bibcode=2005NRF....29..233D |issn=0165-0203|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Despite the existence of several laws that regulate environmental crimes, illegal practices in mining tends to happen because of an absence of enforcement.<ref name=":20">{{Cite journal |last1=Espin |first1=Johanna |last2=Perz |first2=Stephen |date=2021 |title=Environmental crimes in extractive activities: Explanations for low enforcement effectiveness in the case of illegal gold mining in Madre de Dios, Peru |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2214790X20303269 |journal=The Extractive Industries and Society |language=en |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=331–339 |doi=10.1016/j.exis.2020.12.009|bibcode=2021ExIS....8..331E }}</ref> The rules for gold mining create ambiguities between the types of 'legal' mining, leaving loopholes for those to exploit.<ref name=":20" />

==== Global market impacts ====
Gold prices are subject to global market trands, economic uncertainties, and geopolitical factors. Fluctuation in gold prices can influence investment decisions, currency values, and trade balances in gold-producing and consuming countries.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shafiee |first1=Shahriar |last2=Topal |first2=Erkan |date=2010-09-01 |title=An overview of global gold market and gold price forecasting |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420710000243 |journal=Resources Policy |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=178–189 |doi=10.1016/j.resourpol.2010.05.004 |bibcode=2010RePol..35..178S |issn=0301-4207|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Baur |first=Dirk G. |date=2014 |title=Gold mining companies and the price of gold |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.rfe.2014.07.001 |journal=Review of Financial Economics |language=en |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=174–181 |doi=10.1016/j.rfe.2014.07.001 |issn=1058-3300|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Furthermore, the global gold supply chain involves complex networks of mining companies, refineries, traders, and retailers. Ensuring ethical and sustainable practices throughout this supply chain, including addressing issues such as child labour and environmental degradation, remains a challenge.

===Responses===
[[Human Rights Watch]] produced a report in 2015 that outlined some of challenges faced globally. The report notes that
{{blockquote|Thousands of children in the Philippines risk their lives every day mining gold. Children work in unstable 25-meter-deep pits that could collapse at any moment. They mine gold underwater, along the shore, or in rivers, with oxygen tubes in their mouths. They also process gold with mercury, a toxic metal, risking irreversible health damage from mercury poisoning.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/09/29/what-if-something-went-wrong/hazardous-child-labor-small-scale-gold-mining|title=What ... if Something Went Wrong? Hazardous Child Labor in Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Philippines|date=2015-09-29|newspaper=Human Rights Watch|access-date=2016-10-17|archive-date=18 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018210739/https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/09/29/what-if-something-went-wrong/hazardous-child-labor-small-scale-gold-mining|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

''Fairtrade'' and ''Fairmined'' dual certification for gold was launched across the United Kingdom on 14 February 2011,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/feb/14/fairtrade-gold?INTCMP=SRCH|title=Fairtrade hallmark sets the gold standard|author=Kate Carter|date=14 February 2011|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=20 December 2012|archive-date=12 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312150149/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/feb/14/fairtrade-gold?INTCMP=SRCH|url-status=live}}</ref> a joint scheme between [[The Fairtrade Foundation]] and [[The Association for Responsible Mining]]. The ''Fairmined'' mark ensures that the gold has been extracted in a fair and responsible manner.

[[File:Lone Tree Gold Mine From The California Zephyr - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Lone Tree gold mine taken from the California Zephyr train, showing the extent of deforestation]]

A [[United Nations|UN]] investigation reported human rights abuses such as sexual exploitation of women and children, [[mercury poisoning]], and child labor affecting communities where illegal gold production occurs. The reports said global buyers such as [[Switzerland]], through which roughly two-thirds of global trade transits, need to ensure that human rights are respected throughout supply chains.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/gold-sourcing-and-switzerland-in-focus-at-the-human-rights-council/47925514|title=Gold sourcing and Switzerland in focus at the Human Rights Council|access-date=26 September 2022|website=Swissinfo|date=26 September 2022 |archive-date=26 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926070359/https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/gold-sourcing-and-switzerland-in-focus-at-the-human-rights-council/47925514|url-status=live}}</ref>

The "No Dirty Gold" campaign, working with a number of campaigning partners, was established in 2004 and aims "to ensure that gold mining operations respect human rights and the environment" through a call for changes in gold mining techniques and processes.<ref>Earthworks, [https://earthworks.org/campaigns/no-dirty-gold/ No Dirty Gold], accessed 30 October 2023</ref><ref>Bland, A., [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/environmental-disaster-gold-industry-180949762/ The Environmental Disaster That is the Gold Industry], ''Smithsonian Magazine'', published 14 February 2014, accessed 30 October 2023</ref> The impacts of mining on the environment are long-lasting, and active land management and restoration are needed to ensure recovery.<ref name=":14"/> A barrier to the restoration of environments is cost. Limited funding is a major barrier in implementing commitments.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chazdon |first=Robin L. |date=2008-06-13 |title=Beyond Deforestation: Restoring Forests and Ecosystem Services on Degraded Lands |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1155365 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=320 |issue=5882 |pages=1458–1460 |doi=10.1126/science.1155365 |pmid=18556551 |bibcode=2008Sci...320.1458C |s2cid=206511664 |issn=0036-8075|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Restoration costs vary widely between difference approaches, such as passive and active restoration.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Holl |first1=K.D. |last2=Aide |first2=T.M. |date=2011 |title=When and where to actively restore ecosystems? |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378112710003750 |journal=Forest Ecology and Management |language=en |volume=261 |issue=10 |pages=1558–1563 |doi=10.1016/j.foreco.2010.07.004|bibcode=2011ForEM.261.1558H |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brancalion |first1=Pedro H. S. |last2=Schweizer |first2=Daniella |last3=Gaudare |first3=Ulysse |last4=Mangueira |first4=Julia R. |last5=Lamonato |first5=Fernando |last6=Farah |first6=Fabiano T. |last7=Nave |first7=André G. |last8=Rodrigues |first8=Ricardo R. |date=2016 |title=Balancing economic costs and ecological outcomes of passive and active restoration in agricultural landscapes: the case of Brazil |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/btp.12383 |journal=Biotropica |language=en |volume=48 |issue=6 |pages=856–867 |doi=10.1111/btp.12383 |bibcode=2016Biotr..48..856B |s2cid=89600560 |issn=0006-3606|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Additionally, governments have started to promote the formalization of gold mining.<ref name=":15">{{Cite journal |last1=Salo |first1=Matti |last2=Hiedanpää |first2=Juha |last3=Karlsson |first3=Teemu |last4=Cárcamo Ávila |first4=Luciano |last5=Kotilainen |first5=Juha |last6=Jounela |first6=Pekka |last7=Rumrrill García |first7=Róger |date=2016 |title=Local perspectives on the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining in the Madre de Dios gold fields, Peru |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2214790X16301733 |journal=The Extractive Industries and Society |language=en |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=1058–1066 |doi=10.1016/j.exis.2016.10.001|bibcode=2016ExIS....3.1058S }}</ref> This formalization puts the government in a better position to govern the sectors, manage environmental impacts, and direct mining away from ecologically sensitive areas.<ref name=":15" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fritz |first1=Morgane M.C |title=Global Trends in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM): A review of key numbers and issues |last2=Mcquilken |first2=James |last3=Collins |first3=Nina |last4=Weldegiorgis |first4=Fitsum |date=2017 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |location=Winnipeg |language=en}}</ref>