Mines' vulnerabilities in Mabayi Commune (Burundi)

Mining creates new activities, jobs and income for local communities. It can also reinforce negative external factors, reducing agricultural production and making the smallholders vulnerable, if not properly managed. This paper aims to analyze vulnerability factors, the role of mining activities on the assets of rural households in the presence of these factors and on their agricultural production. A survey of 210 households, interviews with key informants, and observations were carried out in 2022 in Mabayi’s commune on Gahoma and Ruhororo hills, where foreign mining company ‘‘Tanganyika Mining Burundi-TMB’’ and local mining cooperative “Dukorere Hamwe Dusoze Ikivi-DHDI” had been respectively operating gold since December 2018. Comparing the 2017-2018 and 2020-2021 agricultural seasons, the results showed that the Buhoro reference hill experienced a decrease in average agricultural production of 153 kg/household/year due to negative factors external to the mines including the usual ones of vulnerability. On the Gahoma hill, it was reduced by 826 kg/household/year as a result of these factors and the mining activities of the TMB Company. On the Ruhororo hill, it fell by 136 kg/household/year due to negative external factors, including the usual vulnerability factors. Inclusive and/or participative governance of all stakeholders should contribute to more viable and sustainable socio-economic development.