SECTION A: PROJECT RATIONALE AND APPROACH
1.1 Project Summary
A thriving artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM) industry exists in Zimbabwe and contributes more than 30% of the total national gold production. This industry provides an income for many thousands directly and millions indirectly, especially in the case of the Kadoma-Chakari area. Despite these positive aspects, their activities have had devastating repercussions on the environment and the health of miners as well as the people living in close proximity to mining activities. This is mainly because the sector is mostly informal and there is excessive use of mercury during gold extraction. The sector has no access to technical support services, hence their continued use of unsafe methods for gold extraction. It is estimated that more than 1,400 tonnes of mercury are used by the ASGM sector annually, and in the process releasing large amounts of the toxic elements into environment. The environmental and health effects of mercury in communities where ASGM activities are rife are well documented.

Due to these negative impacts, current global efforts through the Minamata Convention have been towards reducing or eliminating where possible, the use of mercury in the sector. It is against this background that this project, ?Introduction of Borax as a Substitute to Mercury in Gold Extraction (BSMGE)?, seeks to complement efforts under the UNDP-GEF SGP projects focal area on Chemicals whose main objective is to reduce the pollution of the environment by harmful chemicals such as mercury and its impact on human health. The approach proposed for this project includes awareness campaign on the dangers of mercury use, training and demonstrations on alternative mercury free technologies, such as the borax technique, and the distribution of mercury retorts to miners as a way of reducing exposure and pollution of the environment by mercury. The local participants will be trained, guided and supervised by personnel/staff from the Institute of Mining Research (IMR). The engagement of the mining communities in the project area will be done through their associations - the Zimbabwe Artisanal and Small Scale Miners Associations (ZASSMA), which is based in Kadoma. A participatory approach will be adopted with demonstrations being done on selected mining sites. A cooperative, Manyara Mining Cooperative from Kadoma, with a membership of ten and currently using mercury, has already accepted to participate in the project (see Annexure 1of cooperative membership and mine registration papers). Other potential sites in the project area will be identified. The project will aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of the borax technology (mercury-free technology) against the traditional amalgamation process. The borax technique has been successfully implemented in the Philippines, Indonesia, Tanzania and Ghana as a safer substitute for mercury. In the Philippines it has been used successfully for 30 years by more than 15,000 ASGM miners. The technique has the potential to replace amalgamation and retorting because it is effective, easy, quick and transparent. Besides demonstrating the effectiveness of the borax technology, the project also aims to distribute mercury retorts to various miners at different sites in the project area. A baseline survey to estimate the quantities of mercury used and the practices employed in artisanal and small scale gold mining and processing will be done. On project completion participants will share their experiences during the implementation of the project through a workshop that will be organized at the end of the project. A case study publication and video documentary on the project activities and findings will also be produced at the end of the project.

Project Location
The project will be located within the Kadoma-Chakari area about 140km southwest of the capital city of Harare, along the Harare-Bulawayo highway. The area lies within the largest gold belt deposits in Zimbabwe and has the highest density of small-scale gold miners of the country?s gold belts. Gold mining and panning is the main economic activity of the project area. The area is a host to a large number of gold miners, millers and panners in which mercury is used for gold extraction. The mining sites are easily accessible via paved all-weather and dry roads. The target communities (beneficiaries) are mainly those who are involved in mining and processing of gold using mercury and will target mining sites with 10 or more members. These people are responsible for the largest release of mercury into the environment. They practice gold mining either as individuals, syndicates, cooperatives and millers. More than 25 000 small-scale miners have been reported to be active within the project site area and the majority of these use mercury to process gold.

Figure 1: Project site

Figure 2: Current setting at Manyara Mine Cooperative

Manyara Mine Cooperative is a holder of at two blocks of gold, 10ha each. It is made up of 10 full members (one female) and they are involved in the mining and processing of gold. They have their own equipment which mainly consists of a diesel engine hammer mill, a compressor and some jack hammers. They use mercury to extract gold.

1.2 Organizational Background and Capacity to Implement the Project
The Institute of Mining Research (IMR) was established in 1969 by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Ministry of Mines and the then University of Rhodesia. Its mandate is:
? to undertake research for the benefits of mining in Zimbabwe;
? to undertake sponsored mining research projects, and
? to promote the collection and collation of information and the dissemination thereof to the government and mining industry

Vision Statement
To be the leading research institute in mining and related industries in Africa and beyond

Mission Statement
To enable the sustainable development of the mining and related sectors in Zimbabwe through innovative and responsive research, further education, training and consultancy services of the highest quality.

It was established to undertake research (in a broad sense of the word) under the auspices of the then University of Rhodesia. The Memorandum of Agreement provided for the Committee of Management (COM) of IMR which was to manage all the affairs of IMR. In addition to the MOA an ordinance was made in terms of section 27(1)(d) of the University of Zimbabwe Act 1986 by the University Council, with recommendation of the COM. The ordinance is cited as the Government of the Institute of Mining Research Ordinance 1986, Ordinance N0.35, and effective 1 October 1986. The Ordinance established the internal management of the operations of IMR, including the Departmental Board, as well as placed it under the Faculty of Science of the University administratively (see extracts of documents in annexure).

Currently it has three research staff and fifteen technical, clerical and support staff. These are all full-time employees under the University of Zimbabwe pay-roll. The Institute is headed by Chairman. Staff from the Institute in collaboration with the miners will be involved in the implementation of the project. A participatory approach will be adopted, with IMR staff playing a supervisory role and assisting with expertise.

The Institute of Mining Research is a premier research institute in the mining sector in Zimbabwe, established in 1969. It is the only institute of its kind in the country. The Institute has elaborate laboratory facilities including sample preparation facilities (ball mills, rod mills, jaw crushers, grinders and pulverizers) and analytical equipment (ICP, LECO, AAS, Bomb Calorimeter, et cetera) to support any research. These laboratory facilities have proved to be immensely useful to our clientele, the majority of which are ASMs. Geochemical analysis of gold ore over the years from various regions of the country has resulted in significant understanding of gold ore mineralization in the country.

The Institute has also written several scientific papers on the ASM sector in the country. Our advisory services cover the whole mining value chain from geological exploration, economic feasibility studies, mining, processing, beneficiation and marketing. We have managed various projects, for example Fogarty Project (2004 ? 2008), Tengenenge project, the Pelletized Phosphate Blends project and the Global Mercury Project (GMP; 2002-2007). During the GMP project, the Institute was involved in an awareness campaign on the hazards of mercury use, demonstrations on use of retorts, and the sluice-vinyl carpet technology as an alternative to the whole-ore amalgamation process. The carpet technology was proved to be suitable replacements for whole ore amalgamation practices. The experience gained during the GMP will be very useful for this project. The Fogarty Project was a research project on Occupational Health, safety and environment funded by Fogarty International of the University Of Arizona College Of Public Health and conducted in conjunction with the University of Zambia School Of Mines. Tengenenge project was funded by Kellog Foundation and managed by the Institute on behalf of Mintek (SA). The project sought to make infrastructural interventions at a community-based sculptor park in Mvurwi which used rocks from an old mine in the area. The pelletized Phosphate Blend project was a research project to develop a fertilizer technology suitable for the rural areas using Dorowa Phosphate Rock and Triple-superphosphate. It resulted in a patented technology which is now also registered with the Ministry of Agriculture for commercial production. The Institute of Mining Research has also managed other bigger projects involving all stakeholders in the mining sector. An example is the Beneficiation Research project which resulted in a beneficiation conference in 2014, which was attended by all members of the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, small-scale miners, the Parliament of Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, the Ministry of Finance, foreign stakeholders and Civil Society Organizations. The Institute continues to play a critical role in development of policy in the small-scale mining sector, large-scale sector and in development of regional mining policy through participation in the activities of SADC?s AMDC, UNECA Southern African Office and Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW)/ Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA). The Institute has also been a key stakeholder for Pact Zimbabwe projects and has presented papers on mercury at various workshops they have hosted, including a project on beneficial integration of ASGM sector with the Large Scale Mining (LSM) sector.

1.3 Project Objectives and Expected Results
? Problem statement or challenge the project intends to address
Despite contributing a significant percentage to the total national gold output, the activities of the ASMG has resulted in exposure to mercury and contamination of the environment. A number of small scale gold miners around the country have no alternative means to extract gold except through mercury. Despite its detrimental effects to the environment and human health they still use it. And in most cases, the miners are often unaware of its dangers and the risk it causes to their health. The sector is responsible for an annual release of more than 1000 tons mercury, the largest of any sector globally. This therefore calls for intervention measures. Interventions so far have focused more on reducing the amount of mercury used by the sector through the use of retorts and elimination of whole-ore amalgamation and less on alternative mercury-free technology. The focus of this research will be an introduction of alternative mercury free techniques (BSMGE) and test its effectiveness in extraction against the traditional amalgamation techniques. Besides BSMGE it will also raise awareness on hazards associated with mercury use and introduction of retorts.

? Overall project goal/primary objective
The ultimate aim of the whole project is to reduce mercury pollution and human exposure from small scale gold mining (ASGM) activities through capacity building of those involved in gold mining with alternative technologies. The project will promote the use of mercury retorts and the adoption of alternative mercury-free technologies (BSMGE) through awareness, training and on-site demonstrations.

? Specific objectives
o to raise awareness on the hazards associated with mercury use, alternative mercury-free technology and best practice in gold extraction, and
o to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Borax technology (a mercury-free technology) as a substitute for the traditional amalgamation process
o to document the project activities especially demonstrations on the use of BSMGE in the form of a video and publication of the results of field activities in internationally recognized journals

? Rationale/justification of the project
Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global agreement for reducing mercury pollution, which recognizes the risks of using mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and calls upon nations to protect their citizens from harmful effects of mercury by reducing, and where feasible eliminating mercury use in this sector. The nation through Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is also currently leading efforts towards the reduction and or elimination of mercury in the ASGM sector through nationwide awareness campaign on the negative effects of mercury, as it tries to ratify the Treaty. Pact Zimbabwe has also participated in mercury abatement activities with mining communities in the Shurugwi-Gwanda area. This project will go a long way in complementing these efforts.

The project is also in line with GEF Small Grants Programme?s overall objective which is ?to support the creation of global environmental benefits and the safeguarding of the global environment through community and local solutions that complement and add value to national and global level action? The project falls within the GEF Focal area on Chemicals of which one of its key strategic objectives is to reduce the prevalence of harmful chemicals and waste and support the implementation of clean alternative technologies/substances. Mercury pollution is a global phenomenon, the chemical moves with air and water, transcends political borders, hence can be transported thousands of kilometres in the atmosphere. Therefore responsible nations should play their role.

This project is in line with Zimbabwe?s national priorities. The vision of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is to be a provider of a world class mining environment for the benefit of Zimbabwe. This is to be achieved through the promotion of sustainable exploration, mining, processing, marketing and management of mineral resources for the benefit of all Zimbabweans. To achieve sustainability, from the human capital point of view as well as the purely environmental perspective, it is necessary to reduce use, exposure to humans and release to the environment, of all hazardous substances. Mercury is one of the greatest concerns in this respect. The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development seeks innovations with regards to this problem under one of its first seven outputs to be achieved by 2023, out of a total of 37 outputs. The Ministry has therefore, charged the Institute of Mining Research (its autonomous research arm) in collaboration with two Departments in the Ministry (Department of Research and Value Addition, and Department of Metallurgy) to come up with a solution to the problem of mercury.
1.4 Description of Project Activities
Table 1: Objectives, activities, outputs and outcomes
OBJECTIVE 1: To raise awareness and training on the hazards of mercury and best practice in gold extraction
Outputs Activities Outcome 1
Output 1 Awareness raised on the hazards of mercury and adoption of best practice strategies for gold extraction.
Indicators for planned actions:
? No. of workshops conducted
? No. of people whose capacities were improved
? Number of policies influenced
? No. of brochures distributed
Baseline:
? 0 workshops held at project site
? .0 people using mercury free technologies
No policy influenced

Target:
? 2 workshops to be conducted
? 300 miners trained
? 1 policy influenced
? 200 brochures distributed 1.1 Inventory of miners working in Chakari- Kadoma area
1.2 Project Inception workshop
1.3 Training & awareness on dangers of using mercury and mercury free technologies that can be adopted. The workshop will target the miners and key stakeholders from various organizations)
1.4 Distribution of project brochures
1.5 Compilation of project workshop report
Awareness on hazards of mercury and technical capacity in gold extraction & mercury-free technologies increased by ASMs.
OBJECTIVE 2: to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Borax technology (a mercury-free technology) against the traditional amalgamation process
Outputs Activities Outcome 2
Output 2:
Reduced levels of mercury in the environment through use of mercury free Borax technology

Indicators for planned actions:
? Kgs of harmful chemicals avoided from utilization or release
? No. of people whose capacities were improved
? Increase in purchasing power by reduced spending on Hg

Baseline:
? There are no figures as yet as the current levels will be determined through the baseline to be conducted

Target:
? Complete elimination of Hg use where BSMGE has been introduced ,
? 50% reduction of Hg where retorts are introduced
? 100 people????..? 2.1 Baseline survey and mine site selection
2.2 On-site training & awareness to miners on borax technology
2.3 Comparative demonstrations of borax versus amalgamation
2.4 Report writing
Alternative mercury free (borax) technology process promoted
OBJECTIVE 3: to document the project activities especially demonstration on the use of BSMGE in the form of a video and publication of the results of field activities in internationally recognized journals
Outputs Activities Outcome 3
Output 3
Alternative free technologies documented

Indicators
? Video produced
? No. of publication produced
Baseline
? zero
Target
? 1 video documentary of project activities
? 1 case study publication 3.1 Writing of standard operating procedures for the Borax technology (toolkit)
3.2 Recording and production of a video documentary on project activities
3.3 Case study publication of the field activities Improvement of the knowledge base on cleaner technology in gold extraction.