Mines’ Characteristics and Their Links with Agriculture as the Main Livelihood for Rural Households in Burundi

Abstract

Mining activities create positive links with agriculture. They are also characterized by uprooting of agricultural land and labour, and water pollution. The objective of this paper is to characterize mining activities and their links with the livelihoods of rural household. A survey with 140 households, interviews and observations were conducted in July and August 2022 in Mabayi commune, on Gahoma and Ruhororo hills, where the Russian mining company ‘Tanganyika Mining Burundi-TMB’ and the local mining cooperative Dukorere Hamwe Dusoze Ikivi-DHDI were carrying out their activities respectively, since December 2018. The results showed that TMB and DHDI inject money into the local economy, and strengthen social ties by creating farmers and mutual aid’s associations/cooperatives. They are also characterized by competition in land and labour markets, environmental degradation, rising food and arable land prices, and corruption in the compensation awarding process. DHDI absorbs considerably local labour force and improves social infrastructure, unlike TMB.  Although it is characterized by survival mining activities which are dangerous to health and live of employees, DHDI contributes positively to agricultural production, whereas TMB contributes negatively to agricultural production, despite having sufficient capacity and skills to improve performance and ensure the safety of its employees.

Received: 3 January 2024 / Accepted: 26 June 2024 / Published: 02 July 2024