Informal Mining Activities and Environmental Sustainability in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines the correlation between informal mining and environmental sustainability in Atakunmosa East and West LGAs in Osun State, Nigeria. The regression output shown in Tables 4.3 to 4.5 shows that there is a weak and statistically insignificant correlation between informal mining and environmental sustainability. The R-value of 0.034 and R2 of 0.001 indicate that only 0.1 percent of the variance in environmental sustainability is attributed to informal mining activities whereas the adjusted R 2 of -0.007 indicates that the model is worse than the mean prediction. The coefficient of informal mining activities (B = -0.034, p = 0.712) proves an insignificant negative correlation with environmental sustainability. These results refute the belief that informal mining is always a source of environmental degradation. The paper reveals the significance of socio-economic conditions like poverty, unemployment, and bad governance in the continuation of informal mining practices. The findings indicate that policy interventions need to be directed towards enhancing enforcement, developing alternative livelihoods and promoting community involvement in order to realize sustainable environmental management. More robust models and environmental indicators should be used in future research to improve the current knowledge and policy directions.