5.2. Observations and Recommendations

(i) The present Mining (Claims) Regulations of 1980 is inadequate to deal with the environmental problems created by artisanal miners.

(ii) The Government, on the other hand, exacerbates the environmental pollution problems currently experienced by its continued selling of chemicals like Mercury without regard to the environmental consequences.

(iii) Efforts by the Government or its agencies or institutions (such as NEMC) to monitor and arrest the current trend in order to avert the more serious environmental problems are inadequate although NEMC has the mandate to perform these functions (see Appendix II for excerpts on the NEMC Act of 1983).

(iv) It is recommended that the Government and its agencies and institutions should review the present guidelines, regulations, etc. on mining and the environment with the aim of designing effective environmental regulations.

(v) It is also recommended that streams, rivers and lakes in the vicinity of mining activities be periodically checked for possible pollutants. This should also apply to human beings as well as aquatic species. NEMC could be given the responsibility of seeing to this.

(vi) Due to the complex nature of dealing with artisanal miners, the Government could set up a "reclamation fund" to assist claim holders to reclaim the mined-out land before abandonment.