As Uganda strives for a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future, the country is harnessing its natural resources, including gold, while prioritising the welfare of its people and the integrity of the environment.
With about 42.6 million people engaged in artisanal and small-scale mining globally, Uganda recognises the importance of managing these resources responsibly.
Uganda’s commitment to transitioning to a mercury-free artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector is commendable, says Dr Akankwasah Barirega, the executive director of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
He notes that artisanal miners have long relied on mercury as a seemingly cheap way to extract gold, but warns that the true cost is far higher.
‘This heavy metal is a potent neurotoxin that endangers human health, contaminates soil and waterways, and silently accumulates in the food chain,’ Dr Barirega says, adding that global tragedies such as Minamata show the devastating consequences of unchecked mercury pollution and underline the urgency of change.
These concerns were central at the third PlanetGold Uganda annual stakeholders’ meeting, where artisanal and small-scale miners gathered to reflect on progress made over the past year and map out a safer, more sustainable future for the sector.
Ministry of Energy permanent secretary Irene Bateebe said Uganda has made significant gains through its partnership with PlanetGold, a Global Environment Facility and United Nations Environment Programme initiative.
She highlighted advances in formalising and regulating artisanal miners, including licensing cooperatives across different regions.
‘This formalisation is pivotal for the estimated 70,000 artisanal gold miners, as it unlocks greater access to financing,’ Bateebe said, noting that banks had previously been reluctant to lend to informal groups, but new government arrangements allow miners to access funding through cooperatives and associations.
Bateebe reiterated the urgency of eliminating mercury from mining practices, reaffirming its commitment by aligning with the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2013.
The Ministry of Energy is promoting safer alternatives and innovative technologies, including the use of borax and gravity-based processing methods, to help miners shift away from mercury.
Bateebe added that government targets include removing an additional eight tonnes (about 8,000 kilogrammes) of mercury from the sector by 2026.
This effort, she said, is part of Uganda’s wider development strategy to equip artisanal miners with modern tools and methods.
Government is also continuing registration and formalisation, with around 6,000 miners already registered to ‘improve market access, so miners can benefit from fair pricing through designated mineral trading areas’.