The National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD), in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP ROAP), is organizing laboratory proficiency testing (PT) for assessing the analytical capacity for mercury. The PT provides the individual proficiency levels of participating laboratories as well as collective mercury monitoring capacity in the region.

Every week, Ibu Sugiyanti makes her way to the small-scale gold mining camp where she teaches mercury-free alternatives to other women miners. The site is located on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, in the village of Logas, an impressive biodiversity hotspot that is also home to hundreds of small-scale gold miners. Sugiyanti’s efforts aim to empower women and transform the way mining is approached in this vibrant corner of Sumatra. 

The Asia-Pacific Annual Webinar on Mercury Science 2021 held on 21 and 26 October 2021 provided latest update on the progress of the project for “promoting the Minamata Convention on Mercury by making the most of Japan's knowledge and experiences” implemented by the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP). In light of the high level interest from participants in the forthcoming project activity on laboratory proficiency testing on mercury, UNEP ROAP is extending the invitation for expression of interest to mercury laboratories outside the Asia-Pacific region.

Across Myanmar, artisanal miners hunt for gold flecks in rivers and pit mines. The work is physically taxing and the income meagre. For many, the sprinkling of particles they find will only offer a few extra dollars of daily income.

The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector accounts for 20 per cent of the world's annual gold production New $60-million initiative will improve conditions for artisanal miners in Mongolia and the Philippines, while slashing harmful mercury emissions As many as 15 million people work in the ASGM sector globally – including 4.5 million women and over 600,000 children The ASGM sector is the single largest source of man-made mercury emissions, responsible for the release of as muc