Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has emerged as a major driver of environmental degradation in many resource-rich regions, yet its impact on the built environment remains insufficiently examined. This study investigates how illegal ASM affects the built environment through the lens of stakeholder perceptions and governance conditions in Plateau State, Nigeria. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, integrating quantitative data from 396 survey respondents with qualitative insights from interviews and focus group discussions conducted in Jos South and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas. The findings reveal that illegal ASM contributes to significant built environment impacts, including land subsidence, structural damage to buildings, infrastructure deterioration, and increased safety and health risks. Inferential analysis indicates that impact severity and lived experience are significantly higher in Barkin Ladi, reflecting greater exposure in rural contexts, while governance inadequacies are perceived as systemic across both locations. Qualitative evidence further highlights a livelihood risk paradox, where economic dependence on mining coexists with its destructive consequences. The study advances governance, perception, and built environment nexus and demonstrates that stakeholder perceptions play a critical mediating role in shaping environmental and infrastructural outcomes. The findings underscore the need for integrated governance, alternative livelihood strategies, and participatory policy frameworks to mitigate the impacts of ASM and promote sustainable built-environment development.
Keywords: Environmental degradation, Mixed Methods, Nigeria, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), built environment impacts, governance and regulation, spatial analysis, stakeholder perception
