ASM is a poverty-driven activity that provides vital livelihoods for rural communities engaged in the extraction of gold, coal, fluorspar and other minerals. However, there are a number of challenges facing the ASM sector, including widespread inequalities, social exclusion and human rights violations. ASM emerged in Mongolia more than a decade ago in response to the nation’s economic transition and a series of climatic disasters that fuelled widespread poverty and unemployment.

The Sustainable Artisanal Mining project is jointly implementing by the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation in Mongolia since 2005. During the last 12 years, entire three phases were completed and its Phase IV began on January 2015 to be completed by December 2018. The ASM Knowledge Hub is collected all significant and highlighted achievements of SAM project and shared the best practices and lesson learns.