Study on the problematic situations of diggers in the artisanal mining sector: Case of Kawama village, DR Congo

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the problem situations relating to environmental management in the artisanal mining sub-sector. The results indicated the significant presence of children compelled to harmful work in the economic activities of mines and quarries. It begins by presenting the proportion of children working in the artisanal mining sector. She is also interested in the descriptive data drawn from the questionnaires concerning four fields of information: 1) the distribution of diggers according to sex 2) the distribution of diggers according to knowledge of the risk linked to the profession following environmental pollution 3) compliance with the provisions of the mining law by the structures committed to the management of artisanal mining 4) the distribution of diggers according to suspected illnesses related to environmental pollution. The article also examines the relationships between the environmental problem-situation and the variables of these four fields. The study also identified several environmental and health issues related to environmental management in this sub-sector of artisanal mining. Thus it was found that these diggers from Kawama village still have a more assertive perception of this pollution, which is why they cite the following diseases for which this pollution is responsible in mines and quarries: respiratory diseases, waterborne diseases, infectious and malformative diseases.