Unravelling Artisanal Mining Land Use-Land CoverChange Nexus through Remote Sensing in Mining Areas of Filabusi, Zimbabwe
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Date
2025-03
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AJOPAES
Abstract
With the advent of artisanal small-scale mining (ASM) in areas around Filabusi, land use and land cover (LULC) has been changing in the past decades, affecting ecosystem-service-producing biodiversity. ASM has changed riverine ecosystem dynamics in the region, impacting biodiversity and ecosystem services, according to this study, which uses satellite imagery to compare changes between 1992 and 2022 to investigate the effects of ASM on land use and land cover changes in Filabusi, Zimbabwe, over 30 years. To effectively examine the observed LULC changes, it was critical to refer to the period when such ASM was non-existent in the area. This allowed the research to quantify the observed effects with decisive findings on the observed impact ASM has had on environmental changes and ecosystems around Filabusi. The paper compared LULC changes between 1992 and 2022 using satellite imagery to unravel the impact of ASM on local riverine ecosystem dynamics in areas around Epoch Mine, Filabusi, over –30 years using multi-temporal satellites. It quantified the extent of land cover changes over 30 years through the analysis of Landsat 5 and Landsat 9 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery to confirm local communities’ ecosystem degradation concerns after artisanal mining took root using satellite imagery and Google Earth Engine remote-sensing analysis to detect and analyse LULC changes among ASM communities. Using remote sensing data to track LULC changes, the paper compares the LULC map from 1992 to 2022 in Filabusi, focusing on areas around the Insiza and Umzingwane Rivers. Results show minimal mining operations in the 1990s but increased ASM activities and related water features in the 20-23% land cover as ASM activities became widespread. The study concludes that ASM has affected local biodiversity marked by detrimental environmental changes on surface and water cover and the general landscape aesthetics. Since remote sensing technologies offer important insights into changes in land cover and their effects on local ecosystem goods and services through mining metals and mineral pollution, this study suggests using them more often for ongoing environmental monitoring and management.
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Mathe, T., Ncube, M., Moyo, F. and Ncube, V., 2025. Unravelling Artisanal Mining Land Use-Land Cover-Change Nexus through Remote Sensing in Mining Areas of Filabusi, Zimbabwe. African Journal of Public Administration and Environmental Studies (AJOPAES), 4(1), p.181.