Gold panning and soil erosion: the case of Mabayi in Burundi

Mining in areas with high rainfall and on steep slopes has environmental impacts, particularly soil erosion. This has been studied in the case of the municipality of Mabayi, where inappropriate gold panning practices on physically vulnerable terrain increase the risk of water-induced soil erosion. This study, carried out at 20 gold panning sites in Mabayi, shows that as a result of gold panning practices, 45% of sites are at very high risk of landslides; 65% of sites are at high risk of rockfalls; 40% of sites are at high risk of sedimentation in riverbeds; 15% of sites are at high risk of erosion in riverbeds. Finally, 75% of sites are at high risk of river water turbidity. 79% of panners are unaware of the essential rules governing artisanal mining that take environmental protection into account.