CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRODUCTION
   1. BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Mine activity has existed since the beginning of human society and minerals have contributed to the development of human civilization since the  Stone  Age.  The mining  industry  impacts directly  on  the  macro-economy  by  improving infrastructure,  increasing  employment, developing  rural  communities  and  enabling new  spin-offs  and  downstream  businesses. The prospering economy of India  is  supported with  abundant  reserves  of  several  key minerals and  their  small to  large  scale mining.  The  mining  sector  in  India  contributed approximately 2.3 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in  2010, which declined from 3 percent in the year 2000 (FICCI, 2013).Based on the volume of production, India ranked 4th  amongst  the  mineral  producer  countries, after China, United States and Russia (Report on Mineral Production by  International Organizing Committee  for  the  World  Mining  Congress).

India produces asmanyas87minerals, which includes4fuelminerals,10metallicminerals, Pradeep K. Singh and Raj S. Singh CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research Barwa Road, Dhanbad - 826015, Jharkhand47non-metallicminerals,3atomicminerals and 23 minor minerals (including building and othermaterials).Coalbeingthesinglelargest fuelsourceforthegenerationofelectricity worldwide,fulfilsabout63%oftheelectricity demand in India (Tripathi et al., 2015).

Historically, mining was executed with the main target towards the mining benefits and with little consideration towards the environment, local community or development (ISID, 2012). Nevertheless, the coal and mineral extraction has contributed the varying degrees of social footprints via environmental degradation, human health impacts, and social displacement, even beyond the physical boundaries of individual mining leases. Further, the in situ beneficiation and long distance transportation of minerals also significantly contribute to enhanced mining footprint over a geographically large area.

This evinces that no mining can be entirely free of all negative impacts and there is sufficient ground to suggest that all-round performance of mining sector from environmental and health perspectives needs to be urgently and substantially improved in the country (Singh and Tripathi, 2009; ERM, 2011).  To achieve rapid economic development, many countries resort to various activities to exploit natural resources. One such activity is mining. Consequently, mining is an important economic activity which has the potential of contributing to the development of areas endowed with the resource. Mining is a major economic activity in many developing countries (Kitula, 2006) particularly in rural sub-Saharan Africa (Andriamasinoro& Angel, 2012).However, mining as an industrial activity, takes place on the natural environment, disturbing areas around where it occurs (TomDerry, et al., 2012).

 As the relationship between the mining companies and communities have been described as the “battleground” for contesting the operational activities of industry (Calvano, 2008), it is clear that disputes emerge from this interaction. Thus people have resorted to publicly opposing mining operations and often resort to violent agitations resulting in deep rooted disputes (Opoku&Asare, 2014). This is particularly due to forced displacement, lack of enough compensation, inadequate resources distribution and environmental degradation.

 This is supported by Abuya (2013) who argues that studies have shown that corporate-community and state-community conflict in mining communities in Africa revolves around at least four issues: land ownership, unfair compensation practices, inequitable resource distribution, and environmental degradation. However, like all other industries and sectors, the mining sector is also bereft with its own problems and challenges.

The footprints it usually leaves behind are tremendous especially when it is not managed well because badly managed influences of mining on the environment or the social fabrics of society can reflect negatively on economic parameters countrywide (World Bank/International Finance Corporation, 2002) and can allow many communities to become poorer with little access to resources especially when mining ventures fail (Kapelus, 2001).

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Mine design and Artisanal  mine (AM) is one of the emerging informal economic activities providing alternative livelihood options to thousands of people in the world with close to 25 million artisanal miners and about 150 million people indirectly reliant on AM (ILO, 1998). Thousands of communities in akoko edo port of Edo state  are currently involved in  mining ” with a hope to improve their way of living. However, most artisanal mining  and mine design practices take place in highly fragile ecosystems and agricultural fields with implications on people’s livelihoods and ecology (Hinton, 2011). Kinene, (2012) acknowledges that there is an emerging ecological and livelihood security challenge in akoko edo port of Edo state associated with artisanal mine practices which are said to be on the increase in many parts of the  state  with thousands of local communities currently engaged in the mining practices.

 He notes that communities in the mining sites live in deplorable sanitary conditions, use toxic chemicals such as mercury in the gold extraction process and have severely degraded fragile ecosystems and agricultural fields that should support their livelihoods. Several reports including the media, have also warned of a looming crisis should the illegal and informal artisanal mine and mine design practices involving large communities in akoko edo port of Edo state continue unabated (MEMD 2009, Kinene, 2013, NEMA 20012). Despite this artisanal  mine discourse, there is less scholarly work that underpins its critical implications on the livelihood security particularly discerning whether the perceived benefits in fact make meaningful contribution to the wellbeing and livelihood security of artisans.

 Finally several research has been carried out on The effect of mining activities and it health hazards. But not even a single research have been carried out on  mine design for artisanal mine( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state).

1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The   main aim of the study is to examine mine design for artisanal mine( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state). Other specific objectives of the study includes;

1. to determine the relationship between mine design for an artisanal mine.( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state).
2. to determine the factors affecting mine design for an artisanal mine.( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state).
3.  to determine the effect of mine design for an artisanal mine.( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state).
4.  to determine the extent to which mine design have affected an artisanal mine.( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state).
5. to proffer possible solutions to problems.
   1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the relationship between mine design for an artisanal mine.( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state)?
2. What are the factors affecting mine design for an artisanal mine.( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state)?
3.  What is the effect of mine design for an artisanal mine.( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state)?
4.  What is the extent to which mine design have affected an artisanal mine.( case study of akoko edo port of Edo state)?
5. What are the possible solutions to problems?

1.5   STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS​

1. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study on mine design for artisanal mine. Will be of immense benefit to the entire akoko edo port of Edo state. In the sense that, people engaging in mine design and ArtisanalMine in akoko edo port of edo state is enormous either directly or indirectly benefiting from it to provide alternative sources of livelihood (Kinene, 2012). As poverty continues to escalate, it is expected that more families and individuals are potentially likely to join mine design andartisanal mine and this will further narrow arable land, reduce environmental quality and exacerbate food insecurity problem. Further, with continued migration of agricultural labour to mining establishments, establishment of slums is bound to happen and subsequent challenges of disease outbreak, increased crime rate, increased birth rate, increased school drop outs among other are expected.

This will not only worsen the food insecurity and poverty situation but may potentially lead to a complete socio-economic and ecological breakdown within the affected communities. Thus, an early insight into artisanal mine operations from the sustainability and livelihood point of view will help provide necessary policy alignment and also formulate a benchmark for addressing the entire informal mining discourse with a view to improving the livelihoods of communities engaged in the practice. Finally the study will contribute to the body of existing literature and knowledge to this field of study and basis for further research.

The study on mine design for an artisanal mine is limited to akoko edo port of edo state.

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

Mine

  Is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth.

MINE DESIGN

A Mine Design  is defined as the layout and operation of the entire mine it comprises, Topographic profile, Geological interpretation, Layout of the mine, Pit design or benched slope model, Scheduling  Topographic Profile.

ARTISANAL MINE

 Is a subsistence miner who is not officially employed by a mining company, but works independently, mining various minerals or panning for gold using their own resources.