Biodiversity Conservation versus Artisanal Gold Mining: a Case Study of Chimanimani National Park, Zimbabwe

Artisanal gold mining plays an important role in sustainable development of rural communities. The objectives of this study were to: i) assess the environmental impacts of recent artisanal gold mining activities in Chimanimani National Park (CNP), eastern Zimbabwe, and ii) discuss the associated implications of artisanal gold mining to sustainable development in the Chimanimani area. Data were collected in January 2010 and law enforcement records kept at CNP were examined to gather trends in artisanal gold miner’s arrests. Field visits to areas affected by artisanal gold mining in CNP were undertaken and key informants were interviewed. Site observations in some sections of CNP indicated that destructive methods of artisanal gold mining were used. Land degradation and water pollution were some of the recorded negative impacts of mining activities in CNP ecosystem. Our findings suggest that artisanal gold mining activities within CNP are incompatible with biodiversity conservation.