Mercury and Conflict Economies: Illegality, Livelihoods, and Environmental Risk in Small-Scale Gold Mining

Date & Time
Jun 19, 2026 | 14.00 - 15.30

Participants
Kursad Avci, Colorado School of Mines (United States)
Sebnem Duzgun, Colorado School of Mines (United States)
Kady Seguin, IMPACT (Canada)
David Soud, IR Consilium (United States)
Oscar Katho, IMPACT (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Panel Description: The use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) remains a global concern, especially in Africa and Latin America, despite the 2017 Minamata Convention's call to reduce and eliminate mercury use. ASGM is the largest human-driven source of mercury pollution, yet its use persists due to deep-rooted challenges. These include limited awareness of mercury’s health risks, lack of viable alternatives, and socio-economic realities such as poverty, informality, and dependence on illicit gold supply chains. In some areas, criminal networks have taken over parts of the sector, intensifying mercury-related environmental and health hazards. For many miners, including women, mercury-based processing remains one of the few available and profitable livelihoods. This creates a tension between the environmental harms of mercury use and the economic necessity it represents for vulnerable communities, sometimes fueling local conflict. This panel will examine the complex web of factors impeding the shift to mercury-free ASGM. Drawing on supply chain data, field programs across Africa, and research into illegal gold and mercury markets, it will highlight why reducing mercury use is not just an environmental issue but one deeply tied to economic survival, informal economies, and broader conflict dynamics. Transitioning is urgent—but far from simple. The format of the panel will use a conversation-based approach that allows each panelist to contribute findings from their respective research and practical experiences. A moderator (TBC) will facilitate this conversation through a set of questions that weaves together macro and micro level findings from researchers and practionners working on gold and mercury supply chains. Panelists: Kursad Avci (PhD Candidate, Colorado School of Mines, US, kursad_avci@mines.edu) Dr. Sebnem Duzgun (Professor of Mining Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, US, duzgun@mines.edu) Kady Seguin (Policy and Research Director, IMPACT, Canada, kseguin@impacttransform.org) Dr. David Soud (Head of Research and Analysis, IR Consilium, US, dsoud@irconsilium.com) Oscar Katho (Environment Officer, IMPACT, Democratic Republic of Congo, okatho@impacttransform.org)