The overall objective of this project is to develop, implement and evaluate an environmental awareness program among Maroon small-scale gold miners in Suriname, with the purpose of changing destructive mining behavior into a constructive one. The goals of the project are the raise of awareness of mining-related environmental impacts and alternative practices; the promotion of more sustainable small-scale mining behavior among small-scale miners and mining communities in Suriname; promotion of the organization of the small scale gold miners; introduction of sustainable mining techniques and the promotion of rehabilitation of abandoned mines.

While gold mining sustains many Maroon families, it also has a number of negative environmental and health effects including river turbidity, deforestation, mercury pollution, and the increased spread of malaria and HIV/AIDS. Reducing mining-related impacts on human and ecosystem health requires that miners and their families are better informed about the social, economic, and ecological costs and gains associated with current and alternative mining methods. Several baseline studies and impact assessments of Suriname?s small-scale mining industry have identified a need for both improved environmental awareness among small-scale gold miners and a change in mining technologies