Contexto histórico, situación actual y desafíos de la minería aurífera artesanal y de pequeña escala en la región andina del Ecuador

Abstract

The objective of the research was to analyze the historical and current situation of Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in the Andean region of Ecuador and, from this, to establish a series of political-legal, socioeconomic and environmental challenges. The methodology was based on the use of qualitative data collection techniques to respond to each of the objectives: literature review for the description of the historical context, field interviews for the analysis of the current situation and, finally, validation by expert judgement to establish the challenges. The main findings indicate that the provinces of Loja, Azuay, Imbabura and Pichincha are the most conflictive areas of the region due to the presence of illegal and informal mining, so control, sanction and formalization processes have been evident in these sectors. In socio-economic terms, there are conflicts between Andean inhabitants who are for and against both legal and illegal ASGM. In environmental terms, the findings suggest historical and current contamination of water sources by toxic agents (such as mercury, cyanide and arsenic), altering the surrounding aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, mainly in the provinces located in the south of the Ecuadorian Andean territory. Finally, this study concludes with the promotion of better public policies to balance the socioeconomic and environmental aspects of gold mining in the Andean region of Ecuador, strengthening technical environmental education, commitment and funding from different international and national organizations and academia against illegal and informal mining. It is recommended that the Ecuadorian government, in coordination with interested entities, promote research at the national level linked to the mining sector and its area of influence, both socially and environmentally.