The Ambassador of the European Union in Colombia, Gilles Bertrand, accompanies the closure of the project for the formalization of artisanal mining and the sustainable use of natural resources that benefits more than 250 people from the Pan American Union and Medio Atrato
In the company of the Ambassador of the European Union in Colombia, Gilles Bertrand; the Representative for the United Nations Organization for Industrial Development – UNIDO in Colombia, Carolina González; and representatives of the mining formalization areas of the ministries of Mines and Energy, and Environment and Sustainable Development, the final results of the project “Empowerment of the Community Councils of Chocó through the sustainable use of natural and mineral resources” were presented. at the closing event held at the Pan-American Union in Chocó, after nearly three years of execution.
The project began in January 2020 and is co-financed by the European Union and UNIDO, with the support of the Ministries of Mines and Energy and of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia. Contributed to direct the communities of Unión Panamericana and Medio Atrato towards a formal and responsible mining sector, developing sustainable sources of income and strengthening their leadership and decision-making capacities, which also allows reducing the social and environmental impacts associated with mining. artisanal mining and agricultural production.
Together with the consultant Artisanal Gold Council, the project, which supported the Community Council of the Pan American Union – COCOMAUPA, consisted of:
• The structuring of an environmental impact study to obtain the final environmental license;
• Technical assistance on issues of tailings management and gold recovery;
• Development of business plans in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector (MAPE);
• Use of alternative technologies to mercury in gold extraction;
• Formalization processes contained in the mining legal framework in Colombia;
• Strengthening the role of women in mining.
As a result of these activities, around 200 artisanal miners and miners were trained in environmental management issues and the beneficiaries in the Pan American Union have registered the environmental impact license that will allow them to formalize their mining activities.
The Ambassador of the European Union, Gilles Bertrand, affirms: “Artisanal mining is a vital activity for many communities in remote areas of Colombia, which are also the most sensitive and strategic ecosystems in the country. It seemed essential to us to show that it is possible to live better from formalized and sustainable mining, reducing the use of mercury, which is a poison for rivers, the jungle and the communities themselves, and offering more dignified employment conditions for miners. It is another example of how you can live better caring for nature, instead of destroying it.”
“During these three years we have worked hard with the Community Councils to accompany them in obtaining results that tangibly contribute to their quality of life and the productive development of the region. That is why we are pleased to know that in regions such as the Pan American Union, we are already one step further in the practice of responsible and formal artisanal mining. In addition to the accompaniment to obtain the final environmental license, we also left two gold recovery equipment installed and in use with which the extraction, recovery and separation processes have been optimized and modernized,” explains Carolina González, UNIDO Representative In colombia.
In the closing event and presentation of the project results, Ambassador Bertrand accompanied the beneficiaries to learn about the equipment delivered and the mines that are in use, which have allowed better management of resources. This has, in turn, resulted in less impact on the environment, with better opportunities to restore the ecosystems of their region.
Additionally, in the Medio Atrato region, the project supported the Medio Atrato Mayor Community Council – COCOMACIA in strengthening the productive capacities of the communities, through the transfer of knowledge applied to the cultivation of chontaduro. Likewise, in pest control, phytosanitary aspects of fruit planting, administrative and accounting skills, and notions around gender equity.
This work resulted in the training of more than 50 beneficiaries, of which 31% were women, and a business model of a productive project associated with the sowing of chontaduro in implementation.
With the closure of this project, it is expected that the communities will be able to replicate the knowledge and skills acquired within their environments, and that in turn can serve as an example and be implemented in other areas of Chocó and the country.