About this Event
Join us at the Hunt Institute on February 8 for an ImpactNights™ where we will discuss sustainable artisanal and small scale mining.
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is widespread in mineral rich developing countries and is credited with producing about 30% of all the extracted gold in the world. About 10-15 million miners, including 3-4 million women and children work in ASGM, providing rural communities with employment, a source of identity and cultural belonging. However, ASGM poses significant health and environmental hazards at local and global levels, resulting in large-scale deforestation, air and water contamination, and human health risks, especially from the mercury used by miners to process the ore. Therefore, governments, industries, and development agencies currently struggle with regulating and minimizing the negative impacts of ASGM while also supporting rural livelihoods.
During this ImpactNights we will discuss the challenges and opportunities within ASGM and how to move forward within the complex social, environmental and technical dimensions of such systems. ASGM experts and practitioners will provide prospective on current approaches and ways forward for improving methods and practices for cleaner, safer and more sustainable ASGM. In addition, we will discuss how the risk perception of ASGM contamination shape and inform our responses at the local community, regional and international scales. Finally, connections to global development efforts in general and how lessons from a dynamic ASGM landscape can be applied to other fields will be discussed.
In-person: Check-in begins at 4:00 PM, grab a cup of coffee, and network with like-minded professionals. At 4:30 PM, we begin the expert-led discussion. At 5:30 PM, we wrap things up and everyone is invited to a reception to continue the conversation.
Remotely: When registering, please indicate your intention to attend remotely and we will send a Zoom link on February 8th.
Dr. Smits is a professor in SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering, serving as chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Solomon Professor for Global Development. Dr. Smit’s research interests are focused on energy and the environment with applications to natural gas leakage, the clean up of contaminated soils and waterways, and the storage of renewable energy.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, 3145 Dyer Street, Room 206, Dallas, United States
USD 0.00
