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In focus groups with leaders in the SSM industry, it was agreed that multistakeholder collaboration for SSM sustainability was essential to achieve SDG 9.
Miners agreed that institutions such as SERGEOMIN, COMIBOL, and
SENARECOM, higher education institutions, and NGOs have helped the SSM
industry overcome financial and technical challenges and therefore secure their only
livelihood option. Interestingly, miners perceived that collaboration between SSM
and NGOs is beneficial for accessing financial, legal, and management
capacity- building. CANALMIN, a non-for-profit organization, for instance, signed
a cooperation agreement with the SSM sector in the mining areas of Potosi, La Paz,
Oruro, Llallagua, Atocha, and Uyuni. Likewise, the SSM sector has initiated ongoing collaboration processes with the Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy, the
Ministry of Development Planning, state and local governments, and indigenous
communities. Slowly, the SSM industry has overcome past barriers and initiated a
transformation toward sustainable SSM governance. A better understanding of priority capacity- building areas for SSM governance will also contribute to the
achievement of SDG 9.
10.4.2 Roadmap for Sustainable SSM Governance in Bolivia
An analysis of SSM leaders’ perceptions yielded interesting findings in relation to a
capacity-building roadmap for sustainable SSM in the Bolivian context. While the
idea of a roadmap for sustainable SSM is tempting from a theoretical standpoint, it
is only possible if stakeholders involved work in collaboration with miners to target
priority areas for SSM sustainability. This research identified nine priority areas to
trace the path for sustainable SSM governance in Bolivia: SSM formalization, risk
prevention, sustainable development, investment and technology transfer, economy
diversification, geology and minerals processing, multi-stakeholder collaboration,
marketing, and capacity-building. The roadmap here proposed seeks to create the
foundation for sustainable SSM governance in Bolivia. Increased emphasis by
stakeholders on these priority areas has the potential to foster SSM growth and
overall sustainability in the Bolivian context: “If mining were not sustainable, it
would have already finished. This is not possible because industrial development
depends largely on minerals and metals and their transformation into goods and
finished products” (Focus Group with Miners).
10.4.2.1 SSM Formalization
Miners suggest that SSM formalization should be undertaken through concession
agreements regulated under the Law 535 of Mining and Metallurgy (Congreso
Nacional de la Republica de Bolivia 2014a, b). In this regard, miners also agree that:
I. B. Franco et al.
In focus groups with leaders in the SSM industry, it was agreed that multistakeholder collaboration for SSM sustainability was essential to achieve SDG 9.
Miners agreed that institutions such as SERGEOMIN, COMIBOL, and
SENARECOM, higher education institutions, and NGOs have helped the SSM
industry overcome financial and technical challenges and therefore secure their only
livelihood option. Interestingly, miners perceived that collaboration between SSM
and NGOs is beneficial for accessing financial, legal, and management
capacity- building. CANALMIN, a non-for-profit organization, for instance, signed
a cooperation agreement with the SSM sector in the mining areas of Potosi, La Paz,
Oruro, Llallagua, Atocha, and Uyuni. Likewise, the SSM sector has initiated ongoing collaboration processes with the Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy, the
Ministry of Development Planning, state and local governments, and indigenous
communities. Slowly, the SSM industry has overcome past barriers and initiated a
transformation toward sustainable SSM governance. A better understanding of priority capacity- building areas for SSM governance will also contribute to the
achievement of SDG 9.
10.4.2 Roadmap for Sustainable SSM Governance in Bolivia
An analysis of SSM leaders’ perceptions yielded interesting findings in relation to a
capacity-building roadmap for sustainable SSM in the Bolivian context. While the
idea of a roadmap for sustainable SSM is tempting from a theoretical standpoint, it
is only possible if stakeholders involved work in collaboration with miners to target
priority areas for SSM sustainability. This research identified nine priority areas to
trace the path for sustainable SSM governance in Bolivia: SSM formalization, risk
prevention, sustainable development, investment and technology transfer, economy
diversification, geology and minerals processing, multi-stakeholder collaboration,
marketing, and capacity-building. The roadmap here proposed seeks to create the
foundation for sustainable SSM governance in Bolivia. Increased emphasis by
stakeholders on these priority areas has the potential to foster SSM growth and
overall sustainability in the Bolivian context: “If mining were not sustainable, it
would have already finished. This is not possible because industrial development
depends largely on minerals and metals and their transformation into goods and
finished products” (Focus Group with Miners).
10.4.2.1 SSM Formalization
Miners suggest that SSM formalization should be undertaken through concession
agreements regulated under the Law 535 of Mining and Metallurgy (Congreso
Nacional de la Republica de Bolivia 2014a, b). In this regard, miners also agree that:
I. B. Franco et al.