Artisanal Miners Drive Sustainability Push Across Uganda's Gold Belts
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) forms the backbone of Uganda's gold sector, with an estimated 200,000 direct participants and two million indirect beneficiaries across Mubende, Kassanda, Busia, Buhweju and Karamoja. Sustainability initiatives — including mercury phase-out programmes, reforestation schemes and community development funds — are gaining traction, supported by multi-stakeholder frameworks including the Africa Laudato Si Conference hosted in Uganda in 2025. These improvements underpin the responsible sourcing credentials that international buyers increasingly demand.
Why it matters
Mercury phase-out programmes and community formalisation initiatives address environmental risks in Uganda's artisanal gold sector.
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is the backbone of Uganda's gold sector. Planet Gold, the ASM lobby group, estimates between 400,000 and 600,000 direct participants — 60 to 70 percent of whom are women and children — with an estimated two million Ugandans benefiting indirectly across major production areas including Mubende, Kassanda, Busia, Buhweju and the Karamoja sub-region.
The environmental and public health challenges associated with unregulated ASM are well documented. Uganda's National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) reports that artisanal miners release approximately 15,000 kilogrammes of mercury into the environment annually — a significant public health risk and a barrier to responsible sourcing certification for international buyers.
Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action across government, civil society and the private sector. The Africa Laudato Si 2025 Conference, held at Bethany Land Institute in Luweero District, convened stakeholders from across the continent to examine sustainable mining practice, ecological stewardship and community empowerment. Participants called for government support for alternative mercury-free mining techniques, investment in water management systems and formalised community benefit-sharing frameworks.
The government's Mining Act regulations include provisions for environmental impact assessments and mine inspections, with a focus on eliminating child labour and armed-group involvement. Woodcross Resources' success in establishing Uganda's only certified tin export operation — following government investment in a modern processing plant — provides a replicable model for the gold sector.
For Diamond Capital Africa, supply chain responsibility means actively engaging with and supporting formalisation efforts among the artisanal miners who contribute to our sourcing network. We maintain documented relationships with verified suppliers, conduct regular audits against ICGLR and OECD standards, and contribute to community development initiatives in the regions where our supply partners operate.