Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale mining is a significant economic sector in Rwanda. Mining activities often use a watercourse, in which secondary extraction takes place and minerals are washed. Mining thus greatly affects the geomorphological conditions in the area. The aim of this paper is a digest of environmental impacts of alluvial artisanal and small-scale mining with a focus on anthropogenic influences on topography with regard to the methods used in raw material mining. The author draws on a case study from the mining site of Rutsiro district in Rwanda. Main findings of alluvial artisanal mining in a riverscape are changes in landscape structure, deforestation, intensification of geomorphological processes, new relief shapes (suffosion depressions, check dams, gravel benches, anthropogenic channels) and hydrological river regime, chemical pollution of soil and watercourses. Artisanal and small-scale mining may lead to a significant change and acceleration of fluvial processes. This paper covers a broad understanding of environmental impacts of alluvial artisanal and small-scale mining with a focus on anthropogenic influencing.
Highlights
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is one of the most important rural non-agricultural activities in the developing world
Due to alluvial ASM, it is sometimes necessary to cut down trees in order to be able to mine in places where miners believe that the mineral vein continues
Sediments in the lower parts of the riverbed, which come from higher places where the mineral washing process takes place, lead to loss of shelter and spawning grounds for fish
Summary
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is one of the most important rural non-agricultural activities in the developing world. It is an important source of employment and income for dozens of millions of people and brings economic benefits to other millions who are not directly involved in ASM. The most discussed topics in ASM include socio-economic aspects of mining [2,3,4,5,6,7], child labor [8,9], women’s labor [10,11,12,13,14,15] and the role of minerals in armed conflicts [16,17]. Less attention is paid to the actual environmental impacts of mining and their typology [18], with these topics being only marginally addressed in scientific papers.
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