logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
15m 12s

Can informal mining be made safer in wes...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Around 60 people were killed in an explosion at an informal gold mine in Burkina Faso on Monday. In recent years, gold has become Burkina Faso’s biggest export. Informal, artisan mining operations are becoming more common there and across the region. People in these mines aren’t employed by big mining companies. And there is often little regulation or oversight. So, can mining in west Africa be made safer?

#AfricaDaily

Up next
Jul 9
Focus on Africa: Ghanaians lured into football job scam
Ghanaian authorities have rescued more than 70 young men from a trafficking ring in Nigeria. The men thought they were heading for football contracts or overseas opportunities. Why has football become a gateway for trafficking? Leaders from five African countries - Gabon, Guinea- ... Show More
28m 15s
Jul 1
Focus on Africa: Why has polio re-emerged in Angola?
Angola was certified as polio-free in 2015, but is now combating a new outbreak of the disease after several cases were reported in a Western province. What has caused the virus to come back?A new report says Islamist militants are using Starlink technology to ramp up operational ... Show More
33m 9s
Jun 10
Focus on Africa: Russia's Wagner Group leaves Mali
Russia says the paramilitary group Wagner has accomplished its mission and has left Mali, although a Russian presence remains in the West African country, through the Africa Corps. So what did the Wagner Group achieve?Why has a separatist movement on the tiny, remote island of An ... Show More
33m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2021
The coming cleantech mining rush
Can the minerals needed to decarbonise the global economy be dug up fast enough? And can it be done without the human rights and environmental abuses of the past?Tamasin Ford speaks to KC Michaels of the International Energy Agency says there will need to be a staggering increase ... Show More
18m 13s
Nov 2022
Growing opposition to mining in Panama
We look at growing opposition to mining in Latin America. The region is a leading producer of copper, silver, iron and lithium. But the environmental and social impact of mining have sparked protests in many countries and several governments have taken action. Costa Rica outlawed ... Show More
18m 54s
Oct 2023
Will India’s new mining rules be a gamechanger?
In today’s episode for 18th October 2022, we talk about new mining reforms which could be a big push to the mining industry. Talk to us at Ditto - https://bit.ly/3RVFpi2 
5m 5s
Oct 2021
The Necessary Evil
Mining is a complicated business. It’s destructive, it’s dangerous. But in order to get the lithium we need to power the energy transition, mining could be a necessary evil. In this episode, we go from protests in South America to a gold mine in Nevada, where we take a ride on wh ... Show More
32m 25s
May 2022
Africa in the grip of a fuel crisis
The fuel prices emergency is hitting households across the continent, from Egypt to Tanzania, Uganda to Nigeria and South Africa. The airline industry has also been affected. So what can governments do?Also, in Somalia, dozens of candidates have registered for the presidential ra ... Show More
26m 49s
Aug 2023
Niger, and an era of mutiny in Africa’s Sahel region
Last month, the African nation of Niger became the seventh government in Western and Central Africa to suffer a military takeover in the last three years. And as of today, virtually every country in Africa’s Sahel region is governed by a current or former military officer. The Sa ... Show More
30m 59s
Jun 2024
The War Below: Humanizing All Sides of the Mining Debate with Ernest Scheyder
Ernest Scheyder, author of 'The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives', discusses the complexities and controversies surrounding mining for green energy metals. The book explores the choices and trade-offs involved in the green energy revolu ... Show More
51m 53s