A double-edged sword: Realities of artisanal and small-scale mining for rural people in the Alaotra region of Madagascar

Stoudmann Natasha, Reibelt Lena M., Rakotomalala Aimée G., Randriamanjakahasina Olivier, Garcia Claude, Waeber Patrick O.. 2021. A double-edged sword: Realities of artisanal and small-scale mining for rural people in the Alaotra region of Madagascar. Natural Resources Forum, 45 (1) : 87-102.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-8947.12215

Article de revue ; Article de recherche ; Article de revue à facteur d'impact

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Quartile : Q3, Sujet : ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES / Quartile : Q3, Sujet : ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Liste HCERES des revues (en SHS) : oui

Thème(s) HCERES des revues (en SHS) : Economie-gestion

Résumé : A growing number of people are entering the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector worldwide. In Madagascar, millions of individuals depend on this informal activity. Through a case study in the Alaotra-Mangoro region of Madagascar, our research aimed to understand the “bottom-up” dynamics and ripple effects of the sector, by looking at the realities for rural communities where inhabitants are both directly and indirectly affected by ASM. We were interested in community members' and miners' perceptions of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of ASM, and in identifying the factors attracting people living in one of the country's agricultural hubs to this activity. Our results show a wide diversity of push and pull factors leading people to enter the sector. Although many positive impacts of ASM exist for miners and communities within the vicinity of mines, most miner participants considered themselves worse off since starting to mine, highlighting the high risk and low probability of return of ASM. ASM's potential for local and national development will remain squandered if its negative impacts continue to go unmanaged. Accounting for local contexts and the ripple effects of ASM will be crucial in achieving safety and security for miners, and to tap into the benefits it may offer communities while minimising environmental damage.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : activité connexe, industrie minière, population rurale, artisanat, secteur informel, impact socioéconomique, impact sur l'environnement, diversification

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : Madagascar

Mots-clés complémentaires : Exploitation minière, Secteur minier

Mots-clés libres : Agriculture, Artisanal and small-scale mining, Diversification, Farming, Livelihood, Madagascar, Mineral resources

Classification Agris : E80 - Économie familiale et artisanale
E50 - Sociologie rurale
E51 - Population rurale

Champ stratégique Cirad : CTS 5 (2019-) - Territoires

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