ASSESSING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING IN NATHENJE, LILONGWE
Abstract
The study was conducted in the Lumwira Village, T.A. Mazengera, Nathenje where villagers are extracting gold from their land illegally. It was aimed at assessing the environmental impacts of these activities through three specific objectives which were assessing water quality through three physical parameter (turbidity, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)). The second specific objective was assessing soil quality by looking at physical characteristic (soil texture) which is one of the factors that determines the productivity of the soil. Lastly it looked at land use and land cover changes in the areas. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methodology by reviewing existing data, sampling of water and soils that later undergoes laboratory analysis to examine the impacts of mining activities in the area through these samples. Remote sensing data was also used to determine land use and land cover change. The findings revealed that mining activities affect water quality by contributing to significantly higher levels of turbidity (r=.998) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) (r=999) with 5% level of significance and Total Dissolved Solids was not really affected as the levels are below recommendations. It further revealed that the soil textures at the mining site are sandy loam and loamy sand with high proportion of sand particles and little in silt and clay proportions due to the exposure of the land to erosional agents like surface runoff water. These soils at mining site are not productive to agricultural purposes. It has also noticed that the land use and land cover changes due to many factors with mining contributing to increased bare land and decreasing vegetation. It then recommended that appropriate steps should put in place such as formalization of ASMs through implementing the ASMs licences to corporate groups, community engagement and sensitization on the environmental implications of ASMs and monitoring of ASM sites by responsible authorities to make sure miners are abiding by the laws and regulations to protect the environment. This is to avoid further destruction of other environmental resources through inadequate awareness campaign and sensitization of the community about the negative impacts of the ASMs and to put environment into consideration whenever they are mining.
Research summary
The findings revealed that mining activities affect water quality by contributing to significantly higher levels of turbidity (r=.998) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) (r=999) with 5% level of significance and Total Dissolved Solids was not really affected as the levels are below recommendations. It further revealed that the soil textures at the mining site are sandy loam and loamy sand with high proportion of sand particles and little in silt and clay proportions due to the exposure of the land to erosional agents like surface runoff water. It then recommended that appropriate steps should put in place such as formalization of ASMs through implementing the ASMs licences to corporate groups, community engagement and sensitization on the environmental implications of ASMs and monitoring of ASM sites by responsible authorities to make sure miners are abiding by the laws and regulations to protect the environment. This is to avoid further destruction of other environmental resources through inadequate awareness campaign and sensitization of the community about the negative impacts of the ASMs and to put environment into consideration whenever they are mining.