Social ecology of artisanal sand mining in the Niger River around Bamako, Mali.

ABSTRACT: Sand, shaping both natural waterways and urban infrastructure, has recently seen a major surge in extraction, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions like West Africa. To assess the organization, quantification, and socio-ecological implications of sand mining around Mali's capital Bamako, we employed a mixed methods approach including structured and unstructured interviews, truck counts, turbidity analyses, and river depth measurements. Our study identified five artisanal systems for mining sand and gravel from the Niger River, using tied-up pirogues, single pirogues, carts, tractors, and trucks. Recent increases in extracted quantities, workforce size, and sand prices were observed, resulting in an estimated annual extraction of 4.86 million m3 in 2022, mainly sourced from upstream of

SUBMITTER: Hemmler KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11781661 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature