Abstract
This survey was carried out at four gold mining sites in the Prefecture of Mandiana in order to assess the level of perception of peasants (farmers, gold miners and agro-miners) on the negative impacts of this activity. The study showed that traditional gold mining has had negative impacts on: i- agriculture (migration of agricultural labor to the mining sector and impacts on plants and animals); ii- impacts on climate change, and iii- social and health aspects. During an exploratory survey carried out in May 2019, it was revealed by many actors and operators in Mandiana that agriculture is declining, plant diversity is decreasing, soils are depleted, agricultural yields are low, wildlife is 'impoverished in this locality. This decrease in biological diversity resources is due to a large extent to gold mining and other effects of climate change. Social upheavals (crime and health risks) are on the rise in the locality. The results reveal that: 62.51% of respondents maintain that gold mining has encouraged the migration of agricultural labor to the mining sector, against 33.33% who claim the opposite; 52.09% support its negative impact on plants and animals against 14.58%; 77.09% recognize its impact on global warming against 22.91% and 87.50% support its impact on the increase in crime, against 12.50%.
Keywords: Gold panning, social, biodiversity, climate change, Mandiana.