THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF ARTISANAL AND SMALL SCALE GOLD MINING ACTIVITIES AS PERCEIVED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES

ABSTRACT This research was conducted to assess the social and environmental impacts of Artisanal and Small Scale gold mining (ASM) as perceived by the local communities of Odo-Shakiso Woreda. The research employed qualitative approach. The woreda and specific sites were purposively selected due to the existence of high potential of gold and severity of social and environmental problems associated with mining activities in the area. Simple random sampling technique was applied to select 84 respondents. The study used interviews, questionnaires, FGD, field observation and other secondary sources. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Even though, ASM has economic benefit in poverty reduction for the country in general and the study area in particular, there are abundant negative impacts from these operations as a result of uncaring extraction and processing techniques. The research revealed that both surface and underground mining method of gold extraction were employed by the ASM and environmental effects such as land degradation, deforestation, water and air pollutions were the major environmental problems observed due to the mining activities. This research also revealed that there was population pressure due to high influx of peoples into the mining areas in search of job opportunities, conflict over the mining sites and benefit sharing, child labour abuse, school dropout and repeating, aggravated prostitutions and crimes were the major social impacts observed in the study area. Furthermore, the study revealed that malaria; diarrhea, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS and acute febrile illness are the most common diseases that were contracted by gold miners and local communities. The study also indicated that there was no occupational health and safety system in the study area; as a result miners were exposed to numerous health and safety risks inherent from ASM activity. Therefore, to alleviate these aforementioned problems it was recommended to rehabilitate destructed lands and abandoned mining pits, improve health facilities and provision of PPE, improve law enforcement on existing mining related regulations (mining operation and income tax proclamations, environmental impact assessment proclamations), strengthening institutional implementation, coordination and collaboration capacity and the mining councils especially at woreda and zone level, inform and sensitize all the stakeholders about the social and environmental impact of ASM and encouraging the communities to diversify their livelihood options.