Environmental Degradation and Small Scale Mining Nexus: Emerging Trends and Challenges in Northern Ghana

Abstract

Small scale mining especially illegal mining commonly called “Galamsey” has attracted much attention in recent times. This study seeks to explore the emerging trends and challenges of small scale mining in northern Ghana. Using structured questionnaire, key informant interviews as well as in-depth interviews, the study sampled 57 stakeholders from two major mining communities in the Wa East district of the Upper West Region namely; Manwe and Jonga communities via purposive, snowball and accidental sampling techniques. The result revealed that majority of the respondents in the small scale mining in these communities were Ghanaians between the ages of 18 and 40 years although few minors were recorded to have engaged in the practice. The essay concludes that the search for livelihood among rural dwellers influence them to ignore the cultural norms that govern the use of the natural environment as it gradually look normal for people to engage in activities that degrade the environment without caring about the negative repercussions of their activities.  Also, weak institutional and regulatory framework as well as poor enforcement of the laws governing illegal mining could have further worsened the battle against illegal mining. The study suggests that though people are culturally sensitive to the use of environment resources, institutions mandated to regulate the operations of mining activities should be strengthen and people appropriately sensitized on the effects that their activities might have on the environment and their own health. The study therefore recommends that licensed galamsey operations should be encouraged and harnessed as a legitimate vocation for local economic development. Finally, alternative livelihood programmes to improve the economic condition of communities should form an integral part of the planning for any mining activity especially Small scale mining in Ghana.

Keywords: Small Scale Mining, Galamsey, Environmental degradation, Cultural behavior, Structural challenges.