Global Opportunities for Long-term Development of ASGM in CÃ´te d'Ivoire To reduce the use of mercury in the ASGM sector in CÃ´te d'Ivoire through a holistic, multisectoral, integrated formalization approach, and increase access to traceable gold supply chains and finance for adoption of sustainable mercury free technologies. Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency. As the largest contributor of mercury emissions in Côte d’Ivoire, the support and interventions of the planetGOLD programme and subsequent reduction in mercury usage will have considerable direct and indirect health benefits from the local to the global level. Reducing the impact of negative health consequences from mercury usage and exposure can have a number of indirect positive socioeconomic benefits for local population, including less disruption to livelihood and income generating activities (e.g. loss of productivity, absence from wage-earning work, etc.). In addition positive spin-off effects, such as increased economic productivity (either in the ASGM sector or elsewhere) that may be achieved as women and men experience better overall health. Improved health will also reduce potential costs associated with health services required following mercury exposure (e.g. doctor visits, travel costs to health services, etc.).     The introduction of mercury-free technologies or safer technologies (e.g. that reduce exposure, minimize open-air burning, etc.) will also reduce contamination of waterways near project sites, decreasing negative harms to aquatic animals and terrestrial animals that live and depend on these waterways. Environmental assessments conducted at pilot sites will also identify additional risks and remediation strategies for the partners supported by the project.     It is expected that increases in formalization in the ASGM sector can have positive socioeconomic benefits for miners as they may increase their access to government services and financing services, which can in turn reduce dependency on more predatory forms of lending that can be common in the sector. In addition to providing capital for investing in mercury-free technologies, increasing access to financing for ASGM miners may also positively contribute to investments in improved productivity (and hence increased income), improved health and safety measures, and the ability of miners to reduce dependence on child labour (i.e. by having money to pay for school fees). Increased access to finance by ASGM cooperatives can also lead to increased community investments, creation of employment and corresponding impacts (e.g. decreases in youth unemployment contributes to reduction in illegal road blocks taxing passersby).     The project’s emphasis on a gender-sensitive approach to implementation will have the positive benefit of contributing to women’s empowerment in the sector and a reduction in gender inequality that is pervasive throughout the sector in many of the project locations.      @font-face  {font-family:SimSun;  panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1;  mso-font-alt:??;  mso-font-charset:134;  mso-generic-font-family:auto;  mso-font-pitch:variable;  mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;}@font-face  {font-family:"Cambria Math";  panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;  mso-font-charset:0;  mso-generic-font-family:roman;  mso-font-pitch:variable;  mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face  {font-family:Calibri;  panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;  mso-font-charset:0;  mso-generic-font-family:swiss;  mso-font-pitch:variable;  mso-font-signature:-469750017 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}@font-face  {font-family:"\@SimSun";  panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1;  mso-font-charset:134;  mso-generic-font-family:auto;  mso-font-pitch:variable;  mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal  {mso-style-unhide:no;  mso-style-qformat:yes;  mso-style-parent:"";  margin-top:0cm;  margin-right:0cm;  margin-bottom:10.0pt;  margin-left:0cm;  line-height:115%;  mso-pagination:widow-orphan;  font-size:11.0pt;  font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;  mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;  mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";  mso-ansi-language:EN-US;  mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}p.GEFFieldtoFillout, li.GEFFieldtoFillout, div.GEFFieldtoFillout  {mso-style-name:"GEF Field to Fill out";  mso-style-unhide:no;  mso-style-qformat:yes;  mso-style-link:"GEF Field to Fill out Char";  margin-top:0cm;  margin-right:0cm;  margin-bottom:0cm;  margin-left:-36.0pt;  mso-pagination:widow-orphan;  font-size:11.0pt;  font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;  mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";  color:black;  mso-ansi-language:EN-US;  mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}span.GEFFieldtoFilloutChar  {mso-style-name:"GEF Field to Fill out Char";  mso-style-unhide:no;  mso-style-locked:yes;  mso-style-parent:"";  mso-style-link:"GEF Field to Fill out";  mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt;  mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;  font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;  mso-ascii-font-family:"Times New Roman";  mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";  mso-hansi-font-family:"Times New Roman";  color:black;  mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}.MsoChpDefault  {mso-style-type:export-only;  mso-default-props:yes;  font-size:10.0pt;  mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;  mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;  font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;  mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;  mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;  mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;  mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}div.WordSection1  {page:WordSection1;}