Mapping Artisanal Mining Activities and Environmental Impacts in Zamfara State Using Satellite Imagery

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Zamfara State has expanded rapidly over the past decade, generating severe environmental and public health consequences, including widespread lead poisoning episodes that have attracted international attention. This study maps the spatial distribution of artisanal mining sites and assesses associated environmental impacts in three Local Government Areas of Zamfara State using high-resolution Sentinel-2 imagery and Google Earth historical images. Mining pits, processing areas, and tailings ponds are delineated through visual interpretation and spectral analysis. Land cover change detection is applied to quantify the conversion of agricultural and rangeland surfaces to mining disturbance areas between 2019 and 2024. Vegetation indices and bare soil index computations are used to assess degradation severity across mining footprints. Results indicate a proliferation of active mining sites, with a documented increase in mine pit density of over sixty percent within the study period. Significant loss of arable land and contamination buffers around seasonal streams are observed. The study underscores the urgent need for a spatially referenced regulatory framework for artisanal mining oversight, coordinated between the Zamfara State Ministry of Solid Minerals and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development. The spatial database produced provides a baseline for future remediation monitoring. Keywords: artisanal mining, Zamfara State, satellite imagery, environmental mapping, land degradation.