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Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has played an increasingly active role in national development and international trade over the decades. As of 2024, those engaged directly and indirectly in the sector¡¯s labor value chain make up more than 225 million people working across Latin and South America, Africa, and Asia. Studies estimate that women account for between 18 percent and 50 percent of the 45 million people who work directly in ASM.

Artisanal and small-scale miners work in diverse mineral supply chains - ranging from well-known minerals and metals such as gold, cobalt, copper, and semiprecious and precious gemstones to lesser-known materials such as salt, gravel, and quarry rock. Growth in the share of artisanal or small-scale mined material has grown significantly.

ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº's new approach, articulated in a new report, , champions the professionalization and social well-being of artisanal and small-scale miners, urging governments to play a leading role in regulating and supporting sustainable ASM practices to achieve national growth targets.

In short, ASM is vital to global prosperity and poverty reduction, but the sector must also lead in environmental stewardship. As heard from miners and other stakeholders, safety and well-being along with environmental stewardship, increased domestic revenues, and improved productivity will be important outcomes to judge success. These are the incentives that will help development efforts be taken up more readily and widely by ASM actors and governments themselves. World Bank support to country clients will need to be more adaptive in their funding timelines, with a view to scaling from the start to achieve outcomes in the most effective and lean way possible. Importantly, World Bank interventions should be more participatory and ASM actor-centered, given time and resources to build the trust and create incentives for behavior change.

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