Artisanal Mining Practice and Physical Impacts on the Environment in the Ity-Floleu Gold Region, Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

This paper describes artisanal gold mining practices and environmental impacts around the Ity-Floleu gold mine, in western Côte d'Ivoire. Interviews and field observations as well as measurements of turbidity and water flow velocity in the section of the river (Cavally) watering the study area, made it possible to identify 13 artisanal mining sites, housing 247 artisans, operating in groups made up mainly of 5 to 10 people. The activity is dominated by local populations from the villages of Ity and Floleu and the surrounding communities. Gold mined comes from alluvial and vein ores, with a predominance of alluvial ore, extracted in the sediments of the bed and the banks of the river and in the soils, inside forests. In the bed of the river, sediments are dredged using machines placed on boats, from where they are washed in mats and then dumped into the watercourse. On the other hand, on the banks of the river and in the forests, the material used consists of picks, dabas, mats, and shovels. In all cases, gold is recovered as a concentrate of gold powder. As regards vein ores, they are also extracted along with the soils of cultivable land, but in the form of blocks of stone which are crushed and washed. The gold is then recovered using mercury, followed by cyanidation. The techniques used lead to the silting up and the fall of the banks of the river, reduction of agricultural land, and the degradation of the environment by the tailings. The Cavally River appears to be strongly impacted in the midstream part of the Ity-Floleu axis, marked by a decrease in the bed and the river flow velocity (0.19 m/s) and higher turbidity (255.3 NTU). More effective policies are urgently needed to restore degraded ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial.