Ouagadougou—The Burkinabe Minister of Environment, Water, and Sanitation, Roger Baro, has called on artisanal gold miners to form cooperatives to facilitate the transition to semi-mechanized mining operations, aiming to improve both efficiency and environmental compliance.

According to Burkina Information Agency, during an interview published Wednesday in the Sidwaya newspaper, Minister Baro articulated the need for a strategic overhaul in the artisanal gold mining sector. "We need to raise the bar so that people can transform themselves into small mines, semi-mechanized ones, where they have a space that is defined and can work according to the regulations that exist," he explained.

Minister Baro expressed concerns over the current rudimentary methods used in gold mining, which he noted contribute significantly to environmental degradation. His department’s goal is to shift towards smaller, regulated, and semi-mechanized mining operations.

To support this transition, the National Society of Precious Substances (SONASP) has been actively involved in organizing artisanal miners, particularly in the South-West region, with the aid of various partners. Minister Baro highlighted the success of the Planet Gold project, which has implemented a mercury-free gold processing system on a one-hectare site.

The shift towards semi-mechanized mining is seen as a critical step towards sustainable mining practices that can provide more stable employment while mitigating the environmental impact traditionally associated with gold panning.