Resettlement Programme Implementation: The Effect on Livelihoods of People in Mining Communities in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

Research affirms the assertion that mining-induced displacement and resettlement (MIDR) impoverishes livelihoods.  Particular of such impoverishments include; landlessness, joblessness, and social disarticulation. This thus threatens the sustainable and human-centered development the world seeks to attain. However, policy documents and researchers such as the World Bank’s Involuntary Resettlement Sourcebook (2004) and Sonnenberg and Münster (2001) propose the preparation of resettlement programmes as an intervention for the mitigation of the adverse effects of resettlement. Despite the introduction of resettlement programmes, relocation and resettlement continues to impoverish the livelihoods of affected population. This paper assesses the extent to which resettlement programmes have affected livelihoods of people in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. The paper first identifies some models and theories that underpin the preparation of resettlement programmes. It then proceeds to assess the effect of resettlement programme on livelihoods of affected households. Thirdly, it identifies the effect on societal ties. Fourtly, the paper identifies the challenges of an effective resettlement programme implementation. Lastly, the study makes plausible recommendations and way forward for an effective resettlement programme implementation. The study thus concludes that for the extractive industry to be beneficial to both the national and local economies there should be commitment to implementation strategies of resettlement programmes. Control measures should be put in place to manage all participation challenges of resettlement programmes. In this way, the primary aim of resettlement programmes would be achieved without blemish.

Keywords: Mining-Induced Displacement and Resettlement (MIDR), Resettlement Programme, Impoverishment, Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, Affected Households