Impacts of gold mining on vegetation and soil at Perkoa

This research was carried out with the aim of understanding the impact of traditional gold mining on the vegetation and soil in Perkoa. The soaring price of gold, climatic hazards and poverty have led to a rush by the population, especially in rural areas, to engage in gold panning. There are over 600 gold panning sites in Burkina Faso. Through documentary research, site observations, surveys and chemical soil analyses, the causes of environmental degradation, in particular vegetation and soil, have been identified. This verifies the impact of gold panning on the environment. The main causes of the regressive dynamics of the vegetation cover in the study area are the cutting of wood for support, the making of working tools, the construction of processing and housing sheds, cooking, the clearing of the herbaceous cover and the search for gold nuggets under the plants. This disrupts the site’s environment and accentuates the action of water and wind erosion, which have negative repercussions on agricultural activity.