Leegi, men nanu wone nit nu ci mercure bi ci environnement bi

I have spent the past two weeks sharing the results of my research with Senegalese authorities and international NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in Dakar.  The process of meeting with officials in these government ministries is not as simple as it may seem.  First, it relies upon knowing the name of who you want to speak with and having someone introduce you.

              Fortunately, I am accompanied on my Dakar wanderings by a close friend – Mor.  He works in the government (though in the northern part of Senegal, on the border with Mauritania) and has many contacts in Dakar.  So, after he spends an afternoon calling friends, getting more phone numbers, and making some more calls, we are set to go.  Some officials require us to first deposit an official request for a meeting, but others tell us to just stop by.

              We begin with the Ministry of the Environment.  We wait for his friend outside the building – though the work day officially begins at 8 am, most people don’t arrive until 9 or 10 (then leave again for a pause at 1 or 2, maybe returning again at 4 to work another hour or two).  When his friend arrives, we follow her in.  Mor gives her a bag of clothes he’s bought to thank her for assisting us, thereby spurring her to go out of her way to ensure we have the meetings we want.  We sit down and talk for a bit, then she knocks on some doors, and presents us for a meeting with her director.

              Ibra Ndiaye is glad to greet us. He has heard of mercury use in artisanal gold mining, but doesn’t know much about it.  Mor introduces us both in French, then leaves me to launch into an explanation of my research in Wolof (which I’m more comfortable speaking than French).  I explain how mercury is used by the miners (to isolate gold), how it’s burned off into the atmosphere, how mercury in the form of methylmercury is especially dangerous, and how I’ve found high amounts of methylmercury not just in water (where it had previously been expected to be) but also in soil.  This then poses an additional source of exposure either through direct consumption of soil (by eating soil or from dust blowing onto food) or through the entry into the terrestrial food chain of crops, vegetables, and livestock.  The Director listens, asks some questions, then tell us we should meet with his Director who oversees the Ministry’s work on mercury.  She’s not there, so we leave a note requesting a meeting and move on to the next office.

              At the Water and Forests Division, the Director is very excited to learn about our results.  He immediately calls a meeting of all Lieutenants present, and I launch once more into my explanation.  They are saddened to hear about the large amount of mercury contamination but see this as parallel with their mission of reducing deforestation from artisanal gold mining – not only does artisanal gold mining destroy forests, but also poses a huge threat to environmental and human health.  Their next humble question puts me back into place.  They want to know what solution I propose.  I explain the importance of education for mining communities through conversations about the dangers of mercury.  Mercury usage will only decline if the miners choose to stop using it.  I unfortunately can’t offer them any advice regarding the mercury capture retorts or mercury-free mining processing techniques that have been proposed by some governments and NGOs.  While I wish I had a better response, I can only elaborate that I am a scientist, providing the with the data, so that they can act accordingly.  But they’ve taught me an important lesson – I have the ear of policymakers who are concerned about the scientific data I am presenting.  While informing them is important, this is an opportunity to suggest changes in policy and something that I should consider next time before having these conversations.

              My meetings continue in this matter of one-on-one or group meetings as I talk with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Protected Lands, Oxfam International, World Vision, Artisanal Gold Council, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Africa, and some university professors.  They read over my short summary report, one or two skim the long manuscript, and they comment that mercury is really bad and a problem.  The most common response is appreciation.  They know mercury is bad, but this is the first proof they have – as Maimona Diene from the Pesticide Action Network Africa said, “Leegi, men nanu wone nit nu ci mercure bi ci environnement bi!” (Now we can actually show that mercury is entering the environment), which they couldn’t before.  According to the Minamata Convention on Mercury which went into effect in August, they must create a National Action Plan to reduce mercury use in Senegal.  I’ve now met with all the major players – all I can hope is that my results will better inform the decisions they make and will trickle down to improving the health of mining communities.

              My next step – on to educating the public.  I was already ushered onto a tv set to share my results with whomever tuned into the 7 pm news.  Now, I’m on my way to the gold mining region in southeastern Senegal to spread the information there.