LIPTAKOR, a participatory approach for increasing risk awareness and facilitating operational changes at artisanal gold mines

The literature highlights the importance of engaging local communities when attempting to raise awareness of environmental and human health-related risks at artisanal gold mines. There are, however, few reliable and tested methodologies available to achieve this or which can be adapted for use in a number of contexts. To help bridge this gap, we developed a tangible tool that takes the form of a game, which provides a space for participatory exploration of risk perceptions associated with artisanal gold mining. We present the results of this study, which was conducted in 2021 in the Nigerien Liptako–Gourma Region, and compare them to findings shared in the literature on risk perceptions related to artisanal gold mining.