Drilling and blasting are essential operations within the mining industry, playing a critical role in material fragmentation. Despite advancements in various blasting technologies, the process remains a dominant contributor to overall mining costs. Achieving cost efficiency requires the precise configuration of blast design parameters, including explosive charge quantity, to attain desired outcomes in fragmentation, ground vibrations, fly rock, and air over-pressure. This study introduces a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-driven model, XGBoost-PSO-T, which combines eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) through the integration of the Tri-Weight technique. The PSO-Tri-Weight method optimizes the hyperparameters of the XGBoost model, enhancing its predictive capabilities. The model's performance was evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R²), with the results demonstrating that the XGBoost-PSO-T system outperforms the standard XGBoost approach, achieving an RMSE of 0.657 and an R² of 0.922. These findings suggest that the XGBoost-PSO-T model is a valuable tool for predicting fragmentation outcomes and optimizing blast designs in surface mining operations. The implementation of this system is recommended to improve blasting efficiency and reduce operational costs.

This study investigates the landscape dynamics and management practices affecting the Association for Forestry and Environmental Education (AFEE) forest massif, located in the monomodal agroecological zone of Cameroon. Using remote sensing data, including Landsat 8 imagery from 2014, 2019, and 2024, in conjunction with field observations, the spatio-temporal changes in land use over the past decade were mapped. Additionally, interviews were conducted with 30 local residents selected through snowball sampling to assess their perceptions of the forest's degradation and the impact of their livelihood activities on the surrounding environment. The results reveal a significant decline in the forest's ecological integrity, with the AFEE massif, originally covered entirely by mature secondary forest in 2014 (200 ha), experiencing a 77.7% reduction in forest cover by 2024. This loss has been primarily replaced by anthropogenic land uses, including young secondary forests (22.9%, 45.95 ha), swamps (17.6%, 35.35 ha), fallow lands (16.8%, 33.7 ha), rubber and oil palm plantations (1.46%, 2.91 ha), and agricultural plots (18.7%, 37.48 ha). Activities such as agriculture, hunting, artisanal sawmilling, and fishing, although central to the livelihoods of local people, have contributed significantly to the degradation of the natural landscape. These practices, while essential for local economic well-being, have negatively impacted the forest ecosystem. Given the critical role of the AFEE massif in environmental education, these findings are essential for the development of strategies that can balance the conservation of natural ecosystems with the socio-economic needs of local populations. The results underscore the need for integrated management approaches that promote both environmental preservation and sustainable livelihoods to ensure the continued provision of ecosystem services for future generations.

Côte d’Ivoire is recognized as one of the principal gold-producing countries in West Africa, where artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) constitutes the second most prevalent livelihood activity after agriculture, particularly within rural communities. As a result, high concentrations of ASGM activity have been recorded in 78% of the country’s regions. In this context, the ecological impacts of ASGM on biodiversity in the Daoukro region were examined. A diachronic geospatial analysis was conducted using satellite imagery from 2010 to 2020, in conjunction with field-based spatial data collection and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that extensive environmental degradation has been driven by the unregulated techniques and substances employed in gold extraction processes, including the widespread use of mercury and cyanide. These practices have resulted in severe soil contamination, structural weakening due to erosion, and inhibited vegetative regeneration. Over the decade-long period, the proportion of bare soil increased at an annual growth rate of +7.90%, while forested areas declined markedly from 31,258 hectares to 24,750 hectares—representing a cumulative reduction of 20.34%. This deforestation has contributed to the disruption and loss of native biodiversity that relies on forest ecosystems for survival. Additionally, land fragmentation and habitat degradation have reduced ecological resilience, further intensifying species vulnerability in the region. These findings underscore the urgent need for sustainable land management policies and biodiversity conservation strategies tailored to mitigate the ecological footprint of ASGM in Côte d’Ivoire.