Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Are Not Associated with Nighttime Light Emissions

Christopher C M Kyba,Klement Tockner,Grégory Giuliani,Florian Franziskakis,Pierre Lacroix

doi:10.3390/j2020013

Abstract

Maintaining records of artisanal and small-scale mining sites in developing countries requires considerable effort, so it would be beneficial if Earth observation data from space could assist in the identifying and monitoring of such sites. Artificial light emissions are common at industrial-scale mining sites and have been associated with small-scale illegal mining in some contexts. Here, we examine whether known artisanal and small-scale mining sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are associated with observations of night light emissions by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Day/Night Band (DNB). Light emissions from the mining sites were not observed: the radiance observed from the sites was near zero and nearly identical to that observed for a set of randomly-chosen locations in the same region. While it is the case that DNB night lights’ products provide useful data in other resource extraction contexts, they do not appear to be useful for identifying artisanal mining sites in the DRC.

Highlights

Artificial light emissions provide a clear indication of human activity at night [1]
Night lights’ products provide useful data in other resource extraction contexts, they do not appear to be useful for identifying artisanal mining sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
This study examines whether night lights’ data could be used to support the identification and monitoring of small-scale mining operations, by comparing observations of night lights to known mining locations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC; readers may find the list of abbreviations prior to the bibliography useful)

Summary

Introduction

Artificial light emissions provide a clear indication of human activity at night [1]. Night lights can potentially assist in the identification of related illegal activities, including but not limited to fishing [5,6] or mining [7]. Night lights can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of government measures to limit such activities [7]. This study examines whether night lights’ data could be used to support the identification and monitoring of small-scale mining operations, by comparing observations of night lights to known mining locations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC; readers may find the list of abbreviations prior to the bibliography useful). Issues and Challenges Related to the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector. Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) comprise the backbone for DRC economic development and a source of employment for millions of people [12]. Between 80 and 90% of the total production and exportation of minerals from DRC

Methods

Results

Conclusion