Environmental Impacts: Local Perspectives of Selected Mining Edge Communities in Sierra Leone

Abstract

<jats:p>Despite its contributions to the development of the country, the mining sector in Sierra Leone, has been attributed to a multitude of impacts on the environment. This article focuses on assessing the environmental impacts of mining in mining edge communities in Sierra Leone. A survey of 360 people from three mining edge communities (Sierra Rutile Limited (SRL), Bonthe district; Octea Mining Company (OMC), Kono district and Sierra Leone Mining Company (SLM), Port Loko district) was conducted. Key informant interviews, focus groups, and secondary data sources - Government policies and regulatory documents, government’s Mines Department annual reports-provided data for this article. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis System with a mean separation done at α = 0.05 (SAS version 9.4). As a result of mining operations, the rates of deforestation, land degradation and destruction of farmlands, inadequate availability of clean water, poor air quality and noise pollution were the main impacts exacerbated by rutile, iron ore and diamond mining. Strategies as recommended by the local communities to be put in place, to restore ecological function in the mining edge communities include, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Mines and Mineral Agency, and other responsible authorities addressing weakness in mining and environmental policies, thereby strengthening enforcement and monitoring regulations relating to mining operations; and companies embarking on rehabilitation, reclamation, and restoration measures to ensure environmental sustainability.</jats:p>

An Integrated Approach to Assess the Environmental Impacts of Large-Scale Gold Mining: The Nzema-Gold Mines in the Ellembelle District of Ghana as a Case Study

“…The majority of the respondents were males (61.5%) because most of the males are engaged in mining-related activities and other occupations that are important for the study and are deemed to have in-depth knowledge about mining-related issues, as similarly reported by Mabey et al [ 8 ] and Kamga et al [ 38 ]. Most of the respondents fall within the age group of 36–45 constituted 56.9%.…”

“…The environment of most mining areas in the country is continuously deteriorating. Its immense economic value keeps diminishing from time to time, due to the heavy concentration of mining activities in such places [ 7 , 8 ]. Most mining activities possess detrimental effects on the host environment, due to their continued use of modern, sophisticated machinery, harmful chemicals, and extended blasting levels.…”

“…Most mining activities possess detrimental effects on the host environment, due to their continued use of modern, sophisticated machinery, harmful chemicals, and extended blasting levels. Unsupervised and unsafe activities by large-scale and artisanal small-scale mines are characterized by overwhelming environmental degradation, including water, air, and noise pollution, deforestation, destruction and loss of vegetation and ecosystem, land degradation, loss of soil fertility, and massive erosion [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Agricultural lands are not only generally degraded, but very scarce.…”

Potential Economic Value of Water Resource Sustainability for Sustainable Environment: A Case Study in South Sumatra, Indonesia

“…Deforestation as a result of mining revealed a signi cant impact on the downstream area in the form of sediment transfer [26], and instigated water pollution in terms of quality and quantity [33], inadequate clean water availability [49], and river silting, due to elevated sedimentation responsible for reducing water depth [18,23,51]. The impact of coal mining on water resources triggers (1) surface water runoff and changing conditions in the catchment area, 2) destruction of aquifer structure, 3) damaging water circulation and balance conditions, and 4) water resource contamination.…”

Natural Resources, Conflict and Security Challenges in Africa

“…More pungently, in Sierra Leone, for instance, the connection between environmental degradation and resource availability is alarming, particularly at Kono, which has very large diamond deposits. More than 75 years of intensive mining of diamond has left a large expanse of land degraded, top soil eroded and thousands of pits abandoned, making it impossible for Sierra Leoneans that depended on land-based livelihoods, including fishing, farming, hunting and forestry, to meet their needs (Mabey et al, 2020). Disturbingly, these narratives of Sierra Leone are similar to those of Nigeria’s Niger Delta, where there have been worrisome concerns over the hazardous offshore oil and gas activities of oil corporations.…”