The rainforests of Suriname are under threat from unregulated artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). In response, the Global Partnership collaborated with the Suriname Government to use Earth Observation (EO) techniques to improve the monitoring of ASGM activities. By leveraging EO data, the project quantified mining-related deforestation and the deterioration of water quality, in turn providing critical evidence-based information to policymakers for better environmental management and regulation of the sector.
Zooming out: using earth observation data
Suriname is one of the greenest countries in the world, with rainforest covering more than 90 percent of the country. But its lush rainforests are under threat as deforestation intensifies. The extraction of the country's natural resources—gold in particular, via artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM)—is a key driver of this deforestation. Despite contributing a third of the country's GDP in 2022 and employing thousands of people, ASGM can cause rapid deforestation, biodiversity loss, and water pollution.
The Government of Suriname seeks to balance the economic importance of gold mining with environmental and social concerns. Recognizing the limitations of traditional data collection methods for monitoring the vast and often inaccessible forest terrain, government partners invited the Global Partnership to work with five agencies in Suriname on a pilot project to monitor ASGM using Earth Observations (EO) to produce better and more reliable data for better policymaking.
Suriname is a blessed country with a lot of natural resources. We should find a balance between the economic activity and the environmental sustainability, and for that data is essential.
Mrs. P. Simons, Director of Mining - Minister of Natural Resources
Through various engagements and ongoing interactions with Suriname since 2022, including a capacity-building project with training and peer exchanges delivered to more than 100 practitioners from Guinea, Mali, Somalia, Togo, and Suriname, the Global Partnership launched a comprehensive initiative to explore the applications for using EO to address Suriname’s environmental monitoring needs.
An opportunity for collaboration and co-creation
After consulting with Suriname on their priorities, we worked together to establish a team of partners and funders to develop a project that would support government agencies to produce high-quality data to inform policy and drive change. Seeing the value in this country-led approach, the Islamic Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank joined forces to fund the project. For specific technical skills and know-how, Assimila was brought onto the project to support and train the local experts. This resulted in a transformative initiative comprising four key phases:
Challenges and lessons
The pilot exercise took place over three months and wasn’t without its challenges and lessons.
- Technical accessibility - While some participants encountered unexpected difficulties with Python scripting for EO data handling, we quickly adapted by introducing more accessible tools with graphical and user-friendly interfaces.
- Infrastructure constraints - The implementation of cloud computing solutions, leveraging our knowledge of scalable EO data processing techniques, was in response to the project uncovering limitations in local capacities for processing large-scale EO data.
- Inter-institutional participation - The diversity of participating institutions presented unanticipated engagement challenges. We addressed these by applying proven strategies, such as tailored incentives and adjusted project timeframes, to accommodate varying organizational needs and capacities.
The power of timely data
To date, the initiative has led to significant outcomes, including increased monitoring capacity, concrete environmental insights, and evidence-based policymaking.
Earth Observation insights: The pilot project generated more timely data that revealed the extent of environmental changes in the study area between 2019 to 2022, with an increase of mining activity (47 percent) that is followed by deforestation (a total loss of 24.56 square kilometers of rainforest) and deteriorated water quality (an increase of 40 percent in water turbidity).
Evidence-based data is needed to sharpen the policy of the government in order to come up with policy plans.
Mr. M. Dasai, Minister - Ministry of Spatial Planning & Environment (ROM)
Data-driven policy insights: These findings were documented in a technical report, along with the approach used for the collection and analysis of EO data. The findings provided Surinamese policymakers with concrete data to inform regulations on ASGM practices, which informed the publication of a policy report, offering recommendations for policymakers and highlighting the importance of high-quality data for informed decision-making and environmental protection.
Improved political decisions and commitments: The Global Partnership, in collaboration with the Suriname Planning office (SPS), the Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control (SBB) and the General Bureau of Statistics (GBS), launched the policy report on the environmental impacts of ASGM, presenting its findings to policymakers and other actors of the Suriname Government. The event not only showcased concrete evidence of ASGM’s environmental footprint in the pilot study area, but also proposed key recommendations to strengthen data-driven policy decisions in the country. These are summarized in the policy report.
Our approach requires collaboration at all levels: from government to the private sector and local communities. By creating partnerships and developing innovative solutions, we can promote sustainable practices that benefit both ecology and the economy. Let us invest in initiatives aimed at restoration and conservation while simultaneously leveraging the economic opportunities of gold mining.
Mr. Ruben Ravenberg, General Director of the Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control
In conclusion, data-driven policy decisions require accurate and timely data. The pilot project undertaken in Suriname was able to gather data from remote regions and bring to light new insights on the impact of mining activities on Suriname’s forests, vegetation, and water quality, with effects on Suriname’s ecosystem. The results showed the detrimental impacts of gold mining practices and were able to demonstrate this in images, making the stark changes clear to see. In a country such as Suriname where there are multiple constraints on traditional methods to gather data, developing the skills of local experts in using EO data provides an incredible tool to monitor the impact on the environment. This pilot was an exciting example of the capabilities of data partnerships and the power of capacity building to support data-driven policy-making for development.
For policymakers, environmental organizations, and technology partners interested in leveraging EO data for sustainable resource management in high forest cover countries:
- Explore partnerships with the Global Partnership to implement similar programs in your region.
- Invest in building local capacity for EO data analysis and interpretation.
- Support the development of accessible tools and infrastructure for processing and analyzing EO data.
- Advocate for policies that integrate EO data into environmental monitoring and decision-making processes.
