Environmental problems caused by mining activities in East Africa




Mining is the extraction of natural resources from the earth’s crust for economic use

The following Environmental problems caused by mining

  • Mining also leads to destruction of land which could have been used for agriculture e.g. by depositing rock debris after rock blasts.
  • Mining also leads to swamp reclamation hence destructing the water cycle e.g. quarrying of clay and sand.
  • Mining also leads to silting of river valleys which causes floods.




  • It leads to destruction of natural beauty by leaving behind large pits.
  • It has led to loss of property through displacement of people near mining areas.
  • Mining is risky it has involved suffocation of miners underground or burying them underground.
  • It has led to neglect of agriculture which leads to outbreak of famine.




  • It leads to soil erosion especially in highland areas where trees are cleared leading to soil infertility.
  • Mining also leads to landslides in highland regions which destroy human property and life.
  • It leads to air pollution during mineral processing especially limestone e.g. at Tororo.
  • Leads to deforestation especially when trees are cut to expose the minerals.
  • Open cast mining leaves behind large depressions/pits which in turn become mosquito breeding grounds.
  • Mining also leads to water pollution which destroys habitats for aquatic animals e.g. copper pyrites are deposited in the wetlands of Lake George and Lake Edward.
  • Mining causes noise pollution because of the explosives used to break rocks e.g. stone quarrying in muyenga.




Environmental consequences of sand mining

1. Forcing the river to change its course

Sand and boulders prevent the river from changing the course and act as a buffer for the riverbed.

2. Illegally dredged sand is equivalent to robbing water.

Sand holds a lot of water, and when it is mindlessly mined and laden on to trucks, large quantities of water is lost in transit.




Depletion of groundwater tables

Sand, on a riverbed it acts as a link between the flowing river and the water table and is part of the aquifer.

4. Adversely impacting the habitat of micro-organisms

There are a lot of micro-organisms that are not visible and widely known, but are critical to soil structure and fertility. When sand is dredged, literally it takes away their habitat.

Increased river erosion

When sand and boulders are removed in an unimpeded way using heavy machines, the erosion capacity of the river increases.




Damage to roads and bridges

this occurs when boulders that came down with the river water damages dams and the waters spread out across causing heavy damage.

Threat to agriculture

this occurs when water table falls dramatically leading for scarcity of water for agriculture

Damage to coastal ecosystem

This destructive illegal practice in beaches, creeks leads to erosion along the shoreline.

It wrecks the intertidal area and creates the imminent danger of saline water ingress into freshwater.




Coastal sand mining destroys fisheries, disturbs coral, mangroves, wetlands, and has led to the near-extinction of ghariyals, a crocodile species unique to India.

A major impact of beach sand mining is the loss of protection from storm surges associated with tropical cyclones and tsunamis.

Lesser availability of water for industrial, agricultural and drinking purposes.

Loss of employment to farm workers.

Threat to livelihoods.




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Problems faced in equatorial regions




Problems faced in equatorial regions

  • Rampant occurrence of pests and diseases which attack man, livestock, crops and this has scared away settlements leading to low development rates.
  • Heavy rainfall received throughout the year and the existence of the densely forested regions has made the establishment of a transport network very difficult.
  • The region with its dense forests has made it difficult to exploit such areas leading to remoteness.




  • The equatorial forests are commonly inhabited by robbers, and this has constrained any attempts to the development of the region.
  • The heavy rainfall received throughout the year has caused a danger of erosion especially in areas where agriculture is practiced.
  • Heavy rainfall may also lead to flooding which destroys people’s lives and property.
  • Leaching of the soils due to heavy rains and erosion has also led to serious loss of soil fertility.
  • High rate of weed growth hence increasing costs of farming and clearance of land.




Steps taken to improve conditions in equatorial regions

  • Establishment of transport and communication networks such as roads to reduce remoteness.
  • Ensure political stability by talking peace with the respective rebel groups so as to allow development to take place in the affected areas.
  • Practice modern methods of agriculture such as application of both organic and in-organic fertilizers to check on the rate of soil fertility loss.
  • Setting up processing and manufacturing industries to take up products from agriculture and forestry to minimize wastage.




  • Use of herbicides to control growth of weeds.
  • Market research so as to enable the farmers in the region to sell their agricultural produce.
  • Provision of capital in form of soft loans to enable different activities like agriculture and lumbering.
  • planting of trees to control soil erosion

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Problems facing the mining sector in East Africa




The following are Problems facing the mining sector in East Africa  

  • Inadequate capital for the mining process which is very expensive.
  • Minerals are non-renewable resources and will get exhausted with time e.g. copper was exhausted at Kilembe.
  • Poor transport networks making mineral zones very difficult to reach.




  • Political instabilities especially in Uganda e.g. ADF rebels who destabilized Kasese affected investment in copper mining.
  • Some minerals are expensive to exploit because they are buried deep underground e.g. gold in Bushenyi.
  • Shortage of skilled manpower to undertake the mining activities leading to the hiring of expatriates who are very expensive.
  • The an inadequate market for East African minerals because they are of poor quality.




  • There is limited research and exploration to discover new mineral zones.
  • Some minerals are available in very small quantities and therefore not economically viable e.g. gold in Karamoja.
  • Most of the mining companies are owned by foreigners who normally take profits back to their home countries.
  • When the minerals are exhausted, the towns which had developed turn into ghost cities with problems of unemployment e.g. Kilembe.




  • Many of the towns e.g. Kakamega which grew up because of mining are faced with problems of congestion and crimes e.t.c.

The solution to the above problems  

  • Government should seek aid and grants from developed countries to widen the capital base.
  • Investments should be made in research and exploration to get new mineral zones.
  • International advertisements should be done to widen the market for local minerals.
  • Government should improve transport facilities in the mining areas e.g. upgrading roads from murram to tarmac.




  • Political stability should be encouraged to attract more foreign investors.
  • The government should encourage on-site mineral processing to produce high quality products.
  • New courses should be introduced at different learning institutions to produce enough skilled labour force.
  • Diversification of the economy to reduce dependence on mining.




Government should carry out market research to get new markets for East Africans minerals

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Conditions leading to equatorial climate




The following are the conditions leading to the equatorial climate 

  • Influence of trade winds, especially the southeast trade winds which blow over the Indian Ocean causing the intertropical convergence zone leading to heavy rainfall, high humidity along the equator.
  • Distance from the sea: areas near water bodies e.g. Lake Victoria and Kyoga receive heavy rains due to on-shore and off-shore breezes hence equatorial climate.




  • Latitudinal location: Areas along with the equator experience hot and wet conditions due to inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) formed when winds converge at the equator blowing from different areas, especially over the Indian Ocean.
  • Ocean currents especially the warm Mozambique currents that bring heavy rainfall along the equatorial belt of East Africa.
  • Mans activities through afforestation & re-afforestation programs lead to the creation of green belts of vegetation leading to heavy rainfall along the equator.
  • Influence of vegetation: Thick forests e.g. Mabira lead to rainfall formation through evapotranspiration.




  • Savannah climate: it occurs between 5o to 15o north and south of the Equator. It’s found in the broad zone between the equatorial climate and the hot desert.

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Dangers of over depending on the exportation of agricultural products and their solutions




The following are the dangers of over depending on the exportation of agricultural products

  • Price fluctuations on the world market cause unstable export earnings, hence reducing government earnings.
  • Agricultural products fetch low prices on the world market, which discourages farmers from growing crops for export.
  • Losses because of poor storage facilities, which reduce on the quality and quantity for export.




  • Agricultural products are seasonal and therefore can’t be relied on for a constant supply for export.
  • Most farmers are reluctant or have inadequate capital to adopt modern agricultural methods for export production.
  • Most agricultural areas are inaccessible which limits quick delivery for exportation.
Dangers of over depending on the exportation of agricultural products
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  • Agricultural products are prone to climatic hazards e.g. hailstorms and long drought cause fluctuation of products for export.
  • Pests attack the crops leading to a reduction in quantity for export which reduces foreign exchange earnings.




  • Disease outbreaks also attack the crops leading to poor quality output which reduces market demand.
  • They are perishable and therefore require air transport which is expensive to transport to foreign markets for export.
  • Agricultural products are bulky and therefore difficult to handle for export.




Steps taken to solve the problems of overdependence on agricultural products for exportation

  • Widening the export market base by investing in market research and creation of new trade partners.
  • Reviving co-operative societies to improve on marketing of agricultural products for export.
  • Encouraging scientific research to improve on the quality and quantity of agricultural exports.
  • Improving handling and packaging of perishable agricultural export crops through reviving marketing boards and co-operatives.
  • Using pesticides and herbicides to control pests and diseases to improve on quality and quantity of export crops
Steps taken to solve the problems of overdependence on agricultural products for exportation
  • Encouraging the government to promote economic diversification to offer an alternative to the agro-based economy.
  • Liberalization of the economy to encourage private investment in the economy to foster economic development.




  • Diversification of the export sector and encourage exportation of other commodities e.g. timber, fish and minerals.
  • Developing export promotion industries to export manufactured goods with high market demand.
  • Promotion of tourism as an invisible export to bring in more foreign exchange for national development.
  • Promotion of exportation of services e.g. banking, transport, labour, education to widen tax base for government.
  • Educating and sensitizing the masses about the dangers of over-reliance on agriculture and offer alternatives for survival.
  • Exporting art and craft products to offer an alternative export item.
Steps taken to solve the problems of overdependence on agricultural products for exportation

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9 EFFECTS OF TRANSPORT ON THE ENVIRONMENT




The following Effects of transport on the environment

  • Pollution from vehicles emitting fumes and oil spills from ships into water bodies.
  • Smoke and smog have caused poor visibility.
  • Creation of barren lands where rocks have been excavated e.g. along river channels.
  • Increased temperatures/Global warming due to gas emissions.
  • Loss of bio-diversity i.e. migration of water animals and bird species due to pollution.
  • Destruction of forests and swamp reclamation to create land for roads and railways.




  • Displacement of many people because of the need to expand roads and railway lines.
  • Encroachment on land for other land uses like fishing, forestry, and agriculture.
  • Destruction of the scenic beauty of the landscape by removing vegetation and rocks.




  • Land degradation e.g. through stone quarrying which leaves behind pits that are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

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Characteristics of cottage industries




Cottage Industries are Industries involved in making products, particularly in homes using hands and simple tools.

The following are Characteristics of cottage industries

  • Locally available materials are used.
  • Capital infested is small.
  • Most of the products are sold to the local market, but few are exported.
  • Skills are acquired informally.
  • Use of hands and simple and sometimes advanced tools.




  • Usually, involve art or skill possessed by a person to produce items that are in demand in the neighbourhood.
  • its labour intensive.
  • Very few items are made because the market for items is usually small.