International Consultant to Prepare two (2) national Full Sized Child Project CEO Endorsement Packages in Sierra Leone and Zambia under the GEF-funded At Conservation International

Conservation International Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “Conservation International”), is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to prepare two (2) national Full Sized Child Project CEO Endorsement Packages in Sierra Leone and Zambia under the GEF funded Global Opportunities for Long-term Development of Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (GOLD+) Program as part of the GEF Project Preparation Grant (PPG). Standard rules for development of a GEF FSP apply.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF), Conservation International, UNIDO and governments of Sierra Leonne and Zambia, through the Gold + Program seek to reduce the use of mercury in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in these countries through a holistic, multisectoral integrated formalization approach, and increasing access to finance leading to adoption of sustainable mercury free technologies and access to traceable gold supply chains. The Gold+ Program comprises 3 country projects in Sierra Leone, Mali and Zambia that aim to formalize the ASGM sector in these countries and reduce its harmful effects on the environment and improve livelihoods and the national economies.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) activities in sub–Saharan Africa have rapidly increased in size in recent years. The high gold price provides many people (and especially young men and single mothers) in rural areas with livelihoods that enable them to feed their families and to pay their children’s school fees. The sector also has had important effects on the local economy, as it creates demand for agricultural products and other goods and services. ASGM activities in this region are however largely informal and unlicensed. Very little attention has been paid to the sector as development efforts have largely focused on gemstones and diamonds and other minerals. Recent discoveries of gold in numerous locations in the country have highlighted the need for a regulated approached into activities of this sector. The current mining practices have an adverse impact on the environment. The ASGM sector is the largest source of anthropogenic mercury releases globally. Approximately 30% of annual ASGM mercury emissions originate from Sub-Saharan Africa. For example, Zambia reports a yearly use in the formal ASGM sector of .286 MT of mercury to recover about .143 MT of gold, representing a 2:1 mercury to gold a ratio. In Sierra Leone, the total average estimate of mercury use in the ASGM sector per year was .352 MT. The major environmental impacts of ASGM are land degradation, deforestation, contamination of surface and ground water, siltation of water bodies, water stagnation in abandoned mine pits, pollution from mercury use in gold amalgamation, and dust and noise pollution.

This consultancy will focus on development of two (2) project documents for Sierra Leone and Zambia that are funded through the Conservation International GEF Agency (CIGEF). UNIDO will work with CI separately to recruit a consultant for the development of Mali ProDoc (SEE Separate TOR – for CI work in the development of the Mali Gold + CEO endorsement package). The duration of the Program is 5 years from the approval date, with an estimated total budget of US $ 7,433.750 GEF Funding and over US $ 50m co-financing.

It is estimated that Sierra Leone hosts up to 80,000 artisanal gold miners who produce an estimated 2.94 tons of gold annually with an estimated export value of US $ 125,000,000. The Environmental Protection Agency in Sierra Leone is working together with other stakeholders to implement strategies of international conventions and national action plans that focus on the improvement of the ASGM sector, to mitigate the negative social, health and environmental impacts and unlock its full potential. The Gold + Project that is aimed to reduce the use of mercury in Sierra Leone’s ASGM sector is one such implementation actions.

Zambia’s ASGM activities are largely informal and unlicensed with an estimated 98% of Zambia’s 30,000 strong ASGM population falling into the informal category. The growth in ASGM gold production in Zambia led the government in the year 2020 to facilitate the purchase of more than 40 tons of gold from primary and secondary sources including ASGM. However, with ASGM activity rapidly emerging in various parts of the country, the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) chose to suspend current mining certificates with the objective of better organizing the sector. The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) is spearheading the use of environmental friendly practices in the ASGM sector in line with international conventions and national policies; including the Mining Policy of 2013; the Mines and Minerals Development Act No. 11 of 2015 (MMDA); the Mines and Minerals Development (General) Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2016 and the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011, which is the principal legislation in Zambia on environmental management and pollution prevention and control. The Gold + Project is part of this effort to promote environmentally safe practices in ASGM sector.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) on link below, contains all the necessary information for interested Offerors. Please access full RFP here: http://vitalsigns.org/blog/request-proposals-3