Incorporating positive deviance into comprehensive remediation projects: A case study from artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the municipality of Andes, Colombia

Abstract Environmental remediation of polluted sites in developing communities often faces difficulties due to the misalignment of project objectives with the needs and interests of local communities, establishment of unrealistic expectations for the outcome of the project, and failure to account for the available resources in the community itself. Remediation decisions favor technical data and technical solutions as the main means of determining remediation options, requiring significant investment and local capacity that are often not found in developing communities. Often these systems fail to account for the social aspects in environmental management and remediation. In contrast, new approaches in local knowledge-based solutions focus on pre-existing environmental management initiatives to establish objectives that are meaningful to the community itself. “Positive deviance” – or the idea that there are solutions already in communities that are successful at addressing challenges despite the barriers that a community faces – are often overlooked during project design and implementation. Identifying examples of positive deviance and working with community members who are well versed in local challenges, available resources, and local capacity presents opportunities for community members to establish project objectives and provides the foundation for future environmental management projects in the area. We present a case study of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Andes municipality, Antioquia, Colombia and local initiatives to overcome community-identified environmental pollutants. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, surveys, and site visits, we identified community perception of environmental pollutants, management techniques for mining waste, and grassroots initiatives that were locally developed to address them. Through key communication and interaction between innovators with identified positive deviance projects, technical experts, and other miners facing similar challenges, innovative projects that account for the social, political, and economic realities of a developing community can become widespread, leading to improved environmental and social conditions.