Small-scale gold mining in Burkina Faso: Health effects, environmental burden and socio-economic interactions with agriculture
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has become part of the livelihood strategy for a large part of the rural population in Burkina Faso. This interdisciplinary and exploratory research on four mining sites in the Center North region of Burkina Faso investigates the impact on soil and water caused by the widespread use of mercury and cyanide in the extraction process. Hotspots of contamination are found at the processing and tailing sites. Further, it quantifies the health burden of the mining community due to cyanide exposure. The results show elevated cyanide concentrations and related health patterns for workers exposed to cyanide. Finally, the socio-economic analysis reveals different mechanisms how agriculture and ASGM activities interact at the household level and how labor and capital is allocated. The findings suggest to expand development support from a predominantly agricultural focus towards an explicit livelihood approach that includes ASGM reality. This includes engagement on the ASGM work site for awareness rising in health and environmental issues as well as supporting means to more effectively and sustainably combine mining and agriculture. Mehr anzeigen
Persistenter Link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000282708Publikationsstatus
publishedVerlag
NADEL Center for Development and Cooperation, ETH ZurichThema
Mining contamination; Cyanide; Burkina Faso; Gold; Health; Rural development; Mercury; Environmental impactOrganisationseinheit
03328 - Wehrli, Bernhard (emeritus) / Wehrli, Bernhard (emeritus)
01865 - MAS ETH Global Coop. a Sustain. Develop. / MAS ETH Global Coop. a Sustain. Develop.
ETH Bibliographie
yes
Altmetrics