MINERWA -- A interdisciplinary research laboratory for responsible
mining in West Africa
Abstract
The International Research Laboratory MINERWA (Responsible Mining,
West-Africa) has for objective to contribute to the comprehension of the
distribution of mineral resources in Ivory Coast, and to their
responsible exploration and exploitation, which implies a thorough
understanding of environmental and societal impacts. It is co-funded by
the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)
and by the African Center of Excellence “Mines and Mining Environment”
hosted by the INP-HB (Institut National Polytechnique Félix
Houphouët-Boigny) in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. It also involves the
University Felix Houphouët-Boigny (UFHB, Abidjan), and 4 laboratories in
France (Geosciences Environment Toulouse, PRODIG, Hydrosciences
Montpellier and Espace-DEV). MINERWA is also part of the world-wide
network AMEDEE (Activity of Mining, Environment, Development, Economy,
Ethics, https://amedee-network.science/en/), which is an international
collaborative R&D platform whose goal is to promote responsible mining
in subtropical and intertropical areas in partnership. The approach is
interdisciplinary and the research team is composed of specialists in
social and environmental sciences and geologists. The focus is placed on
a multi-scale analysis, from atomic/mineral to the crustal scale through
the scale of territories. It aims to reinforce the analytical
capabilities in Ivory coast, with a focus on free remote sensing data
and software and low-coast portable instruments for geochemical analysis
of rocks and contaminants in the field, including portable XRF, portable
LIBS, portable gamma-ray spectrometers and portable visible/NIR
spectrometers. The research laboratory shall be funded for 5 years and
was initiated in 2019. The activities are divided into 5 work packages,
including (1) a platform for continuous exchanges between the different
actors, (2) capacity building, (3) geology of mineral ressources, (4)
mines, environment and societies, (5) scale transfer. Several
preliminary research outcomes in the framework of this laboratory will
be presented in the session, in particular in relation to the
environmental impact of artisanal mining in West Africa [1,2,3].
[1] Abass Saley, A. et al. , this session. [2] Ngome, M. et al.,
this session. [3] DAÏ, B.S.M. et al., this session.