The OmniScriptum SRL The Issue of Environmental Remediation: The Case of Artisanal and Small-Scale Diamond Mining in the Mano River Union Paperback

Artisanal and small-scale diamond mining is practiced in all countries of the Mano River Union (Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) in a rudimentary and sometimes informal manner. Artisanal diamond mining, however, provides a vital livelihood strategy for local communities, as it constitutes the primary activity for most artisanal miners in the Mano River Union (MRU). Our field studies and surveys of artisanal miners indicate that this type of mining has direct impacts on forest clearings, soil, and waterways. The environmental impacts of artisanal mining activities are therefore real, but it also appears that the remediation of artisanal mining sites is possible. Indeed, the small-scale artisanal diamond mining sector requires simple environmental remediation procedures and protocols adapted to the educational level of artisanal miners and their financial realities.