In a context marked by the war of powers, globalization, and population growth, the world is witnessing an increase in resource consumption. The United Nations Environment Report defines policies on environmental management (1971). To attain the status of a developing country, third-world countries must value and manage a vast set of resources (World Bank, 2003). Cameroon contains significant mineral deposits, with the East region holding a large share. A few years ago, the country considered making this sector a real development lever and integrating it into the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP). To improve the management of its mining sector, Cameroon, in addition to existing national standards, has adhered to several international policies for good governance. Cameroon has a legal instrument that specifies the conduct to follow in gold extraction. However, its mining sector is plagued by numerous environmental controversies. The development of the activity is based on profit-seeking by the stakeholders at the expense of the environment. Since the promulgation of its first mining code in 2001 and its revision in 2010, the influx of multinationals and internal migrants has increased, leading to a population boom. 2,500 mining operation permits were issued in the Lom and Djerem department, and 1,277 in the Kadey department, reflecting a high consumption of land. Practiced daily as a source of income, the activity is not without consequences on the environment and the safety of individuals. Therefore, the objective is to focus our reflections on the environmental damages caused by this activity.
Impact of mining practices on the environment
Source: FOPA F. Guylaine, field image, Kambélé village, East-Cameroon, 2024: deviation and pollution points, and vegetation.
A number of practices in mining, such as the diversion and pollution of watercourses and vegetation, soil disruption, and the use of additives in mining, impair the soils and watercourses, making them no longer suitable for agriculture, with repercussions on health and food security. They lead to the destruction of fauna and flora, deforestation, and climate change, which causes the gradual loss of biodiversity.
Source : FOPA F. Guylaine, image de terrain, village Bétaré-Oya, Est-Cameroun, 2024 : abandon des sites après extraction de l’or.
As René Descartes noted, "Man thinks he is master and owner of nature," in the pursuit of natural resources without regard for the effects of his actions on nature. Today, we observe an imbalance in the ecosystem. Economic pressure, with the overexploitation of land and subsoil in the region, presents many risks. The mining practices are responsible for significant deforestation, reducing the vegetation cover. The soils are disturbed without rehabilitation, the landscape is disfigured, watercourses are diverted, and climate warming is caused by vapors released from the subsoil. While the mining code in its article 55 stipulates: "Authorized and/or sworn agents, from the Ministry in charge of mines and other competent administrations or any duly mandated organization ensure the monitoring and control of mining activities within the limits of the powers granted to them in the regulatory texts," the mining code requires consultations before the commencement of work to highly consider the expectations of local communities. However, in practice, administrations do not take into account the legal provisions of the Mining Code, mining conventions, and public policies to which the government has committed. There is a long way to go before achieving shared governance, which calls for the involvement of all social layers in decision-making.
The gradual loss of natural resources is highlighted by J. TCHONANG (2022), who estimated environmental degradation at 33%, forest cover regression between 2000 and 2015 at 1,336 hectares, or 27.44%; and between 2000 and 2020, 1,859 hectares or 43.66%. Concerning the shrub savannah, its regression between 2000 and 2015 was 376 hectares, or 6%; between 2000 and 2020, it was 550 hectares, or 13%. The green economy advocates for the rational use of the planet’s resources because these resources are perishable and can lead to the destruction of the ecosystem. Similarly, TCHINDJANG Mesmin et al. (2017), questioning the expansion of mining activities on forest cover, wondered if, at the rate at which mining permits are issued in the forested areas of the Lom and Djerem department, in 50 years we will still be able to find a patch of forest. Mining operators do not leave symbolic memories; they leave behind "lakes of death," mercury- and cyanide-poisoned waters, and polluted soils unsuitable for agriculture, with repercussions on public health and agricultural production.
The analysis of the Mining Code emphasizes the dominance of the mining regime over land ownership. The state is sovereign, and the land and subsoil remain its property. While the region’s lands are rich in minerals, access to land is also the right to food. Land is a valuable resource for various human needs. In addition to the threatened land rights, populations in mining areas face an environmental crisis. When certain forms of land use have repercussions on the environment, they compromise the ability of farmers to produce. Semi-mechanized mining catalyzes the loss of land, disrupting soils without rehabilitation, leading to a deficit in terms of agricultural needs. Yet, Article 101, paragraph (2) of the Mining Code states: "Old mining and quarry sites must return to stable conditions of safety, agro-sylvo-pastoral productivity, and visual aspects close to their original state or conducive to any new sustainable development and in a manner deemed adequate and acceptable by the administrations in charge of mines, the environment, and any other concerned administrations." Unfortunately, legal standards are compromised but not implemented on the ground. Consequently, farmers are forced to practice extensive agriculture, hoping to obtain more yield from the plots of land they can access. This low agricultural yield leads to famine. With the constant increase in mining permits and environmental destruction, farmers no longer have the possibility to leave land fallow for fertilizing the fields due to famine. To meet their needs, some are forced to engage in mining activities, further diverting agricultural labor to mining sites. In fact, the lands occupied by mining are lost for agro-pastoral practices because they are not restored as required by law (C. AKOMBOH, 2024). Mining thus becomes the main activity and even attracts women who initially were farmers (C. AKOMBOH, 2024).
The United Nations Environment Convention is based on the principle that natural resources must be used in a way that satisfies the needs of future generations. The mining conventions adopted by Cameroon, such as the MINAMATA Convention, aim to reduce or eliminate mercury use in mining to improve public health and break the cycle of poverty, while moving toward a fairer and greener economy (UN & UNDP, 2019). The chemicals used in mining degrade soils, making them poor in agricultural yield, leading to food insecurity and various diseases.
Ultimately, reflections on the conduct of mining activities in the East-Cameroon region have highlighted the existence of a normative, institutional, and policy framework, both national and international, regulating the gold sector in Cameroon. However, the legal framework does not offer hope where mismanagement prevails. The repercussions of mining activities in the region have revealed several social and environmental impacts. This is due to the fact that administrations in charge of natural resources, where mining titles overlap, do not collaborate. This conflict of interest arises from the malice of certain actors who enrich themselves at the expense of the well-being of the populations. Given the situation, it is more than urgent to harmonize the laws and establish a decree for the application of the current mining code.