[ L’orpaillage, entre risques, précarité et persistance dans le département de Toumodi (centre de la Côte d’Ivoire) ]
Volume 76, Issue 2, January 2025, Pages 186–196
YAO Kouamé Franck Eli1, YEO Siriki2, ZOGBO Zady Edouard3, and YOMAN N’Goh Koffi Michael4
1 Doctorant, Département de Géographie, Université Alassane Ouattara, Côte d’Ivoire
2 Enseignant-Chercheur, Département de Géographie, Université Alassane Ouattara, Côte d’Ivoire
3 Département de Géographie, Université Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
4 Enseignant-chercheur, Département de Géographie, Université Alassane Ouattara, Côte d’Ivoire
Original language: French
Copyright © 2025 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Since the outbreak of the military-political crisis of 2002, gold panning has experienced a new dynamic in Ivory Coast. This activity generates significant income for gold miners. Although it has positive effects, it also has negative effects. Indeed, its illegal nature not only exposes gold miners to legal proceedings, but also to various difficulties, notably accidents. This study aims to map the difficulties encountered by gold miners in carrying out their activity. The study was initially based on a review of previous writings related to the subject. Additional information was then collected through field missions to 220 gold miners spread across seven localities in the study area. The main results of this research revealed that gold panning is structured around several small activities. These are digging, collecting and washing. This activity is part of a strategy to diversify the sources of income of farmers (26%), traders (51%), mechanics (6%), pupils and students (17%). Furthermore, gold miners are exposed to numerous accentogenic risks sometimes leading to loss of human life (17%). The majority (68%) of accident cases concern injuries. Other risks such as landslides (12%) and asphyxia (3%) were also mentioned by the gold miners interviewed.
Author Keywords: gold panning, risks, precariousness, accidents, Toumodi.
Volume 76, Issue 2, January 2025, Pages 186–196
YAO Kouamé Franck Eli1, YEO Siriki2, ZOGBO Zady Edouard3, and YOMAN N’Goh Koffi Michael4
1 Doctorant, Département de Géographie, Université Alassane Ouattara, Côte d’Ivoire
2 Enseignant-Chercheur, Département de Géographie, Université Alassane Ouattara, Côte d’Ivoire
3 Département de Géographie, Université Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
4 Enseignant-chercheur, Département de Géographie, Université Alassane Ouattara, Côte d’Ivoire
Original language: French
Copyright © 2025 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the military-political crisis of 2002, gold panning has experienced a new dynamic in Ivory Coast. This activity generates significant income for gold miners. Although it has positive effects, it also has negative effects. Indeed, its illegal nature not only exposes gold miners to legal proceedings, but also to various difficulties, notably accidents. This study aims to map the difficulties encountered by gold miners in carrying out their activity. The study was initially based on a review of previous writings related to the subject. Additional information was then collected through field missions to 220 gold miners spread across seven localities in the study area. The main results of this research revealed that gold panning is structured around several small activities. These are digging, collecting and washing. This activity is part of a strategy to diversify the sources of income of farmers (26%), traders (51%), mechanics (6%), pupils and students (17%). Furthermore, gold miners are exposed to numerous accentogenic risks sometimes leading to loss of human life (17%). The majority (68%) of accident cases concern injuries. Other risks such as landslides (12%) and asphyxia (3%) were also mentioned by the gold miners interviewed.
Author Keywords: gold panning, risks, precariousness, accidents, Toumodi.
Abstract: (french)
Depuis le déclenchement de la crise militaro-politique de 2002, l’orpaillage a connu une nouvelle dynamique en Côte d’Ivoire. Cette activité génère d’importants revenus aux orpailleurs. Bien qu’elle ait des effets positifs, elle a aussi des effets négatifs. En effet, son caractère illégal expose non seulement les orpailleurs à des poursuites judiciaires, mais aussi à diverses difficultés notamment des accidents. Cette étude vise à faire la cartographie des difficultés rencontrées par les orpailleurs dans l’exercice de leur activité. L’étude s’est appuyée de prime abord, sur une recension des écrits antérieurs en rapport avec le sujet. Des informations complémentaires ont ensuite été collectées grâce à des missions de terrain auprès de 220 orpailleurs reparties dans sept localités de la zone de l’étude. Les principaux résultats de cette recherche ont révélé que l’orpaillage est structuré autour de plusieurs petites activités. Ce sont le creusage, le ramassage et le lavage. Cette activité participe à une stratégie de diversification des sources de revenus des agriculteurs (26%), des commerçants (51%), des mécaniciens (6%), des élèves et étudiants (17%). Par ailleurs, les orpailleurs sont exposés à de nombreux risques accentogènes conduisant parfois à des pertes en vie humaine (17%). La majorité (68%) des cas d’accidents concerne les blessures. D’autres risques comme les éboulements (12%) et les asphyxies (3%) ont également été évoqués par les orpailleurs interrogés.
Author Keywords: orpaillage, risques, précarité, accidents, Toumodi.
How to Cite this Article
YAO Kouamé Franck Eli, YEO Siriki, ZOGBO Zady Edouard, and YOMAN N’Goh Koffi Michael, “Gold panning, between risks, precariousness and persistence in the department of Toumodi (central Ivory Coast),” International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, vol. 76, no. 2, pp. 186–196, January 2025.
