On the week of 5 to 10 of June, WCS held workshops with approximately 300 miners in Pelechuco (6/6) and Charazani (7/6) inside Apolobamba protected area and Apolo (9/6), on the edge of Madidi protected area. The workshops were held under the auspices of the North of La Paz Federation of Miners, Mining Ministry and SERNAP.
These events included training on the legal framework regulating mining operations, mercury use, environmental mitigation, and good practices. The legal aspects were covered by the Mining Ministry, Vice ministry of Mining, Mining Administrative Contracts Authority (AJAM), Vice Ministry of Environment and Biodiversity and Protected Area Service (SERNAP). WCS staff covered aspects of responsible mining and best practices for impact reduction.
Results of these workshops included:
- Improvement of mining operator´s knowledge on legal, institutional, environmental and protected area matters.
- Promotion of opportunities for responsible mining and reduced environmental impacts on protected areas.
- Improve communication and coordination between institutions responsible for mining, protected areas and mining operators, for a better allocation of roles and responsibilities.