L’IMPACT DES NOUVELLES TECHNOLOGIES SUR LE SECTEUR MINIER ARTISANAL ET INDUSTRIEL AU BURKINA FASO

The report examines how technological advancements in Burkina Faso's mining sector—ranging from automated machinery in industrial mines to mechanical crushers in artisanal sites—threaten traditional employment, particularly for low-skilled workers and women. It highlights that while industrial companies often downplay these shifts, automation in excavation, topography, and administration is reducing the need for human labor. In the artisanal sector, the introduction of centrifuges and crushers is displacing women's traditional roles in ore processing. The document recommends enhancing transparency in technology adoption, investing in local skill development, and promoting 'local content' strategies to mitigate job losses and ensure sustainable economic benefits for local communities.

• Industrial mining in Burkina Faso has expanded rapidly, with the number of industrial mines growing from one in 2007 to seventeen by 2019, driven by gold price increases and the 2003 mining code's fiscal incentives.
• Technological shifts in industrial mines, such as the use of larger autonomous dump trucks and automated drilling equipment, are reducing the number of required workers; for example, some blasting operations have seen the number of dynamiters drop from seven to two.
• The transition from open-pit to underground mining is expected to result in a significant loss of employment, typically reducing the workforce by at least half.
• In the artisanal sector, the introduction of mechanical crushers and centrifuges (such as GoldKacha) is displacing women who traditionally performed ore crushing and washing, with a single centrifuge potentially replacing 20 to 30 female employees.
• Mining administration is also seeing workforce reductions due to technology; the use of GPS and drones for mapping has reduced the personnel required for some missions from 50 people to five.
• There is a potential for informal technology and skill transfer from industrial to artisanal mining, as displaced industrial workers may apply their expertise to semi-mechanized artisanal operations.

APA

Ouedraogo, M. (2021). L’IMPACT DES NOUVELLES TECHNOLOGIES SUR LE SECTEUR MINIER ARTISANAL ET INDUSTRIEL AU BURKINA FASO. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/impact-new-mining-technologies-burkina-faso-fr.pdf

Chicago

Ouedraogo, Moïse. L’IMPACT DES NOUVELLES TECHNOLOGIES SUR LE SECTEUR MINIER ARTISANAL ET INDUSTRIEL AU BURKINA FASO. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/impact-new-mining-technologies-burkina-faso-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ouedraogo |first1=Moïse |title=L’IMPACT DES NOUVELLES TECHNOLOGIES SUR LE SECTEUR MINIER ARTISANAL ET INDUSTRIEL AU BURKINA FASO |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=December 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/impact-new-mining-technologies-burkina-faso-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ouedraogo2021limpact, author = {Ouedraogo, Moïse}, title = {{L’IMPACT DES NOUVELLES TECHNOLOGIES SUR LE SECTEUR MINIER ARTISANAL ET INDUSTRIEL AU BURKINA FASO}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/impact-new-mining-technologies-burkina-faso-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }