Socio-environmental impact of mining activities in Guinea: The case of bauxite extraction in the region of Boké

Abstract

Bauxite is the mineral used to produce aluminum. The benefits and opportunities of this mineral are many, but its extraction, refinery and shipping have environmental impacts, since it still depends on the use of heavy digging machinery, and produces heavy air pollution which harms human's health.The main environmental impacts caused by bauxite mining supply chain are related to water pollution and land degradation, displacing in various ways and with different magnitudes. This means that, if not treated properly, the ensuing environmental damage caused by bauxite extraction leads not only to catastrophic environmental consequences, but also to social and health problems, most of all when bauxite deposits are located near inhabited areas. The region of Boké, in the Guinean republic, is used as a telling case to illustrate this problem. This region is known for its rich deposits of bauxite. However, the environmental and social threats caused by its supply chain are managed in an inefficient way.The aim of this paper is to see the problems through the eyes of the people who suffer the most from bauxite extraction in order to build effective political guidelines and actions. To detect the locals’ perception and awareness of this socio-environmental issue, a survey was conducted with the main stakeholders, i.e. farmers, mining employees of different job positions, and two officials belonging to the Ministry of Environment and to the Ministry of Geology and Mining of the Republic of Guinea. Because of their deprived situation, farmers have difficulties communicating with institutions. They are illiterate and unaware about the relationship between unsustainable mining and the negative impact on their crops. The results of the survey show that locals still have low awareness of the problem, that corruption is still one of the worst enemies hindering implementation of policies and that the workforce suffers high social inequalities, creating a society stuck in an apparently unsolvable situation. Based on these results the paper argues for enlarging the concept of sustainable mining towards truly integrating the wellbeing of local people.