The objective of the proposed project is to strengthen the regulatory framework and institutional capacity for the management of small-scale gold mining and promote greater adoption of environmentally responsible mining techniques in Guyana in order to protect globally significant biodiversity, reduce mercury contamination, enhance local livelihoods and human health. The project seeks to improve the environmental management of small scale gold mining in Guyana which is the largest driver of deforestation and degradation in the country and contributes to biodiversity loss, land degradation and contamination. To do so, the project has been organized into four outcomes: 1) Policy and regulatory framework strengthened and supported for oversight of the environmental impacts of the small -scale gold mining sector; 2) Increased institutional capacity and inter-institutional coordination to mitigate and manage the impacts of small -scale gold- mining; 3) Adoption of more environmentally responsible gold mining practices increased; and 4) Knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation implemented to support learning and upscaling. Expected global impacts include: a a) 6,500,000 hectares of forests of the greenstone belt in six mining districts under improved management to protect globally significant biodiversity through support to the implementation of the National Mineral Sector Policy Framework and Actions which seek to balance mineral development with other priorities such as BD conservation, protection of watersheds and freshwater, preservation of carbon stocks and socio-economic development (overall project impact); b) phase-out of 10.2 metric tonnes of mercury in project intervention areas; c) 1,235 miners (10% are women) implementing environmentally responsible mining practices reducing mercury use, deforestation and safety and occupational threats, and increasing gold recovery and incomes; d) 1,209 hectares of high conservation value forests conserved in project intervention areas through improved prospecting; e) 445 hectares of forests and forest land restored in areas degraded by mining in demonstration project sites; and f) 8,032 persons benefited through awareness raising, training and reduced exposure to mercury: 1,499 miners (10% women), 2,178 Mahdia residents (42% women); 4,355 indigenous peoples (50% women).These benefits will translate into direct benefits for various species, many of which are globally significant, including endemic and endangered species as well as species of economic importance to local communities and indigenous peoples.