Africa Mining Watch
Mapping the spread of illegal mining across Africa
You can't stop what you can't see. Join us to create data for people working to stop mining harm to human health and the environment.
Supported by
Access our data
This data is a rough cut, produced by a collection of machine learning models in Earth Index based on research initiated at the Africa Mining Watch Mapathon. You can access the data here. The map broadly reflects the state of artisanal mining activity in West Africa and the Congo Basin.
Though it is not the focus of the survey, the data captures some industrial mining facilities, and it includes errors both in false detections and mining sites missed. We recommend using the data primarily for exploration of mining hotspots and to validate findings independently.
THE PROBLEM
Illegal and unregulated mining operations across Africa cause devastating damage to the environment and human health, destroying forests, contaminating water sources, and displacing communities. Yet the sheer scale and variety of the continent’s geology makes monitoring these activities nearly impossible with traditional methods.
THE SOLUTION
Africa Mining Watch is changing that. By combining accessible cutting-edge AI with satellite imagery, we’re collectively building the first comprehensive, open dataset of illegal mining activity across Africa to make the invisible visible and putting actionable data in the hands of journalists, researchers, and policymakers.
HOW IT WORKS
1. Scan
Earth Index processes satellite imagery across targeted regions of Africa, analyzing multispectral data to detect surface-level changes invisible to the human eye.
2. Detect
Multiple AI models are trained to identify different types of mining operations across diverse landscapes, from artisanal mining to large-scale industrial extraction.
3. Synthesize
Individual model outputs are combined into one unified dataset, validated against ground-truth data and expert knowledge to ensure accuracy and completeness.
4. Act
The resulting open dataset powers conservation projects, investigative journalism, policy advocacy, community action, and environmental enforcement across the continent.
Africa Mining Watch Mapathon
We hosted a mapathon in April 2026. This was a chance to work with our data and help us build out the project. Participants worked with Deep Search, a new feature of Earth Index designed to super-charge search results.
African Mining Watch Knowledge Toolkit
Get a deep dive into mining across Africa and explore the environmental and social impacts of illegal mining. This toolkit is a collection of resources and tools to help you understand the root of the issues.
From the team behind Amazon Mining Watch
The team at Earth Genome has extensive experience in mining and environmental monitoring in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center and Amazon Conservation Association, having worked on the Amazon Mining Watch project for years. We're excited to bring the lessons we've learned to another continent.
