Sustainability Prospects and Development Trends in Artisanal Gold Mining in Rural Zambia: An Integrative Literature Review
Keywords:
Artisanal Gold Mining (ASGM), Sustainability, Economic Growth, FormalizationAbstract
Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) represents a vital yet under-documented pillar of Zambia’s rural economy, sustaining thousands of livelihoods and influencing local development trajectories. Building on evolving regional and global discourses on sustainable mineral economies, this study employs an integrative and systematic literature review spanning 2000–2024 to consolidate evidence on the economic, social, and institutional dimensions of ASGM in Zambia. The synthesis reveals that while the sector supports over 70,000 people and contributes an estimated 2–3% to national output through informal networks, its transformative potential is hindered by regulatory fragmentation, limited access to finance and technology, gender imbalances, and weak institutional coordination. The analysis highlights that advancing formalisation, capacity development, and equitable market participation are pivotal to enhancing ASGM’s contribution to sustainable and inclusive economic growth. By articulating the structural constraints and opportunities inherent in Zambia’s artisanal gold ecosystem, this paper offers a refined understanding of how policy, research, and institutional innovation can reposition ASGM as a legitimate and sustainable component of the national mineral economy.
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