Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Resources Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/resourpol Promises and perceptions in the Guianas: The making of an artisanal and small-scale mining reserve Nicole M. Smith a,⁎ , Jessica M. Smith b , Zira Q. John b,1 , Benjamin A. Teschner a a Humanitarian Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA b Liberal Arts and International Studies, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Artisanal and small-scale mining Large-scale mining Formalization Guianas ABSTRACT In sparsely populated areas of the interior of the Guianas, artisanal and small-scale gold mining has become the primary economic activity for local and migrant populations over the last three decades. Because of the adverse environmental and social impacts often associated with artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), these activities can be a source of unease for governments, and the question of how to confront the growing challenges of ASM has become a global concern. Formalization of the sector is increasingly being put forward as one strategy to mitigate the impacts associated with ASM, and there is a growing consensus that large-scale mining (LSM) companies have a role to play in this process. This article examines the perspectives of artisanal and small-scale miners on an initiative to formalize the ASM sector in a rural region in the interior of the Guianas. Through an analysis of a collaboration between a national government and a LSM company to create a reserve for artisanal and small-scale gold miners, we identify the major opportunities and limitations of this strategy. These opportunities and limitations demonstrate that although an artisanal and small-scale mining reserve could be one way to formalize the sector and support rural livelihoods, there are clear barriers to overcome to improve the interactions among governments, companies, artisanal and small-scale miners, and local communities. 1. Introduction In sparsely populated areas of the interior of the Guianas in South America, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has become the primary economic activity for local and migrant populations over the last three decades (Guedron et al., 2009; Heemskerk, 2011; Vieira, 2006). 2 Despite its largely informal ownership and operational frame- works, it has been estimated that over 80,000 people work as gold miners or provide auxiliary services to miners in the Guianas (Heemskerk et al., 2014; McRae, 2014), and the unregulated ASM sector in Suriname alone, is valued at an estimated $1 billion annually (Gurmendi, 2012). While there are clear benefits of ASM for rural economies in developing countries, including a viable livelihood strategy and a way to help alleviate poverty, there are also hazards. Poor government regulation and support, a general lack of goods and services, and rudimentary equipment contribute to environmental contamination, occupational health and safety problems, and in many cases, deplorable socio-economic conditions (Hinton et al., 2003; Veiga et al., 2009). In addition, many ASM activities occur “extralegally,” where they align with local customs and land tenure traditions but operate outside the bounds of the state's legal frameworks and mining laws (Siegel and Veiga, 2009: 52). As a result, ASM is often a source of unease for governments and the multinational mining industry, and the question of how to confront the growing challenges of ASM has become a global concern. In many areas of the developing world, governments are increasingly viewing formalization as one strategy to mitigate the adverse environmental and social impacts associated with ASM activities, and there is a growing consensus that large-scale mining (LSM) companies have a role to play in formalizing the ASM sector (Basu et al., 2015; International Institute for Environment and Development 2001; International Council on Mining and Metals 2010; Mutagwaba et al., 2007). In 2004, in a rural area of the interior of the Guianas, a multi- national mining company began large-scale gold exploration where local artisanal and small-scale miners had been actively working since at least the early 1990s. In 2011, seven years after exploration began, the national government and the company evicted approximately 2000 artisanal and small-scale miners occupying a location identified as a viable area to build the company's mine. Three years later construction http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2016.11.006 Received 30 March 2016; Received in revised form 10 November 2016; Accepted 10 November 2016 ⁎ Corresponding author. 1 Present address: Chemonics International, 1717 H Street NW, Washington D.C., USA. E-mail addresses: nmsmith@mines.edu (N.M. Smith), jmsmith@mines.edu (J.M. Smith), zirajohnq@gmail.com (Z.Q. John), bteschne@mines.edu (B.A. Teschner). 2 The Guianas include the countries of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, which is an overseas department of France. Resources Policy 51 (2017) 49–56 0301-4207/ © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. crossmark