Bauxite Mining in the Boké Region (Western Guinea): Method Used and Impacts on Physical Environment

Abstract

This study assesses the environmental impact of bauxite mining and the attempts at managing those impacts around the three different bauxite mining communities “zones” (Sangarédi, Boké, Fria) in the western Guinea. Mining sector is important to the country’s economy; it represents 75 to 85% of resources exports by year, especially bauxite and figures prominently in the government's development priorities, evidenced by the broad movement of reforms undertaken by the authorities since 2010. In this context, these reforms aim both to minimize the risks while maximizing the benefits of the mining activity. This implies among other things, a better distribution of income from the mine, strict compliance with environmental standards, to record activity in a sustainable development perspective. To better understand these reforms and scope, this research evaluates the existing framework and innovations of the new reforms in the context of sustainable development. The researcher conducted a data collection, a series of interviews with resource persons (The local communities, the Ministry of Mines, mining companies and NGOs working in the mining sector), to analyze the Environmental and Socio-economic impact of mine. The results showed that the mining code of 1995 was both inadequate and very rarely applied in the field. In contrast, the 2011 code contains advanced Transparency important for equitable sharing of benefits and stringent measures for environmental protection. Thus, this 2011 mining code is more attractive and oriented towards sustainable development.