State-led efforts to reduce environmental impacts of artisanal and small-scale mining in Tanzania: Implications for fulfilment of the sustainable development goals

Highlights: • As elsewhere, ASM in Tanzania is associated with environmental impacts. • The SDGs process has not systematically engaged with ASM, but a body of literature on the relationships between ASM and the SDGs is emerging. • Tanzanian government policies emphasize the economic dimensions of ASM. • Efforts to formalize ASM in Tanzania have not paid much attention to environmental issues, but there are potentials for positive connections between ASM development and environmental management. • Impacts include deforestation, mercury and cyanide emissions, water pollution, soil contamination, and lack of reclamation Improved environmental management is key to several of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This paper focuses on the interaction between formalization of the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) sector in Tanzania, and the regulation of negative environmental impacts. Key environmental impacts associated with ASM in Tanzania include: deforestation, use of mercury and cyanide in gold processing, dust and noise pollution, generalized water pollution, soil contamination, and failure to properly reclaim mining areas, and/or secure or fill-in mine shafts. Previous studies found that the Tanzanian regulatory framework was not well suited to the needs of the ASM sector, governance of ASM environmental issues was overly centralized, and environmental awareness amongst miners was low. Over the past five years, the Tanzanian government has reformed environmental regulations in the mining sector and has attempted to formalize ASM. It has also aligned some of its development targets to the SDGs. This paper describes current environmental regulations and policies, discusses actual and potential linkages to formalization initiatives, and assesses the capacities of different stakeholders to regulate and reduce environmental impacts, in the context of the SDGs.