Researchers support Small-scale and artisanal mining

Overall, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) employs ten times more people than large-scale mining. But it takes place in very remote areas, usually involves poor and vulnerable people, ? including women and children ? and is renowned for severe pollution and harsh working conditions. 

Despite all of this, development agencies and national authorities have historically given little attention to the sector and how to make it sustainable, instead focusing on large scale mining. Rather than supporting small-scale mining, governments? policies are often poorly designed or implemented, or even repressive. 

The miners themselves lack access to the rights, financial services, market information and technology they need to make this is a prosperous economic activity with reduced environmental impacts. As a result, many are often driven to operate illegally ? and it is this illegality that has biased attitudes about the whole ASM sector.
http://www.indianoon.com/news/india/researchers-support-small-scale-and-artisanal-mining-3611.html