Illegal Gold Mining In West Africa
For decades illegal gold mining has been occuring within West Africa. From Ghana to Burkina Faso and Mali, these three have succeeded within the illegal gold mining industry. This type of job is very dangerous and hundreds of African die from it ever year. They risk their lives everday so they can have a better life and have the money to carry on with their education.
Ghana Illegal Gold Mining:
Ghana is known to be the one country who benefits the most from this type of industry and is the best at it. It is also another hot spot for illegal gold mining. According to www.takepart.com they stated how "A 2013 study found that the West African nation, which is the world’s second-largest gold producer, faces an environmental crisis as a result of illegal mining. “Illegal miners have caused and continue to cause irreparable havoc to the environment especially water bodies which serve as sources of water for domestic, industrial and irrigation purposes,” wrote Amankwah Emmanuel, a researcher at Ghana’s Wa Polytechnic university, in the paper, which was published in the Journal of Earth Sciences.
They also stated how “Pollution of soil and water bodies with mercury, sludge and other chemicals, destruction of farms and farm lands, degradation of land and vegetation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, encroachment of forest and game reserves among others have been the order of the day due to illegal mining" within Ghana.
Therefore illegal gold mining in Ghana is hurting the environment, and causing alot of damage within Ghana.
Mali Illegal Gold Mining:
Maili is Africa's third largest gold producer. Yet the country still remains poor, and scraps that illegal miners manage to dig up are few.
According to Makula Dunbar from www.afkinsider.com she stated how these miners "... arrive at
6 A.M. and stay until 6 P.M.,” Mali gold miner Awa Keita told CCTV Africa. “That’s what we do: there are times when we don’t even eat. Personally, I’ve worked so hard that my back aches. The work is very difficult.”
Therefore even though illegal gold mining is occuring within Mali, these minors are risking their lives everday to make some money, that can help them live a better life.
Burkina Faso Illegal gold mining:
Burkina Faso, is the third country in Africa that has illegal gold mining. Everyday dozens of people arrive to Burkina Faso's low-tech artisanal gold mines, in order to find employment. They work in poor conditions just like the other two countries and it's also dangerous as well.
These minors in Burkina Faso, can go months without an income. Their has been cases where some of the minors have made a huge profit from gold mining, and can afford to buy luxury cars and motorcycles.
Yet for the majority of the miners, they still live in poverty and don't make alot of profit. They make about seventeen dollars a week, which is a little bit. Even though these miners aren't making much on a daily basics, they perfer mining over farming.
Due to the growing rate of illegal gold mining, it has been hard to put an end to this issue. Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso government have been trying to decrease it, but it is nearly impossible to do so.
1st article link:http://www.takepart.com/video/2014/08/28/tracks-illegal-gold-miners-poisoning-environment
2nd article link:http://afkinsider.com/81320/illegal-gold-mining-activity-spikes-in-mali/
3rd article link:http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-08-04-fools-gold-inside-burkina-fasos-artisanal-mining-industry/#.VkAMo2SrS-V
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