Expectations, uncertainties, and latent conflicts surrounding a mining project: challenges for local governance and urban resilience in the municipality of Yorodougou in western Côte d’Ivoire

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Introduction This article analyzes the latent conflicts that structure the relationship between a mining company and affected local communities in the municipality of Yorodougou in western Côte d’Ivoire. Methods Based on a qualitative approach combining 26 individual interviews and 24 focus groups, the study examines how community expectations, fragile agreements, and uncertainty shape local perceptions of the project. Results The findings show that latent conflict stems not only from a lack of investment, but primarily from a persistent misalignment of expectations within a context of uncertainty and fragile arrangements governing the project’s benefits. Tensions arise from differing perceptions of roles and responsibilities among stakeholders, as well as from weak accountability, participation, and dispute-resolution mechanisms. Community demands for drinking water, roads, electricity, school and sanitation facilities, employment, and training reveal both a local governance issue regarding benefits and a challenge for urban and regional planning. Discussion Drawing on the 2030 Agenda, the article links these expectations to the Sustainable Development Goals and argues that the persistence of latent conflict depends less on the volume of social actions than on the spatial coherence of investments, the credibility of commitments, and the capacity of local institutions to reduce social vulnerability. From an inclusive urban resilience perspective, the article proposes linking Impact and Benefit Agreements with nature-based and community-oriented approaches to co-produce more equitable infrastructure and services and to strengthen the long-term acceptability of the project.

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