Small-scale Mining, Rural Subsistence, and Poverty in West Africa

With a focus on artisanal activity, this book explores the impact of mining on the subsistence strategies of rural people in the mineral states of West Africa, both Anglophone and Francophone. In addition to specific studies of the mining industry, contributors also explore the wider socioeconomic aspects including gender dimensions, environmental issues, legal and tenure regulations, relations with large-scale mining operations, and human rights and conflict issues including the role of so-called 'blood diamond' in the war-torn states of Sierra Leone and Liberia. Written for readers with an interest in extractive industries, rural enterprise, poverty, migration and West Africa.