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A delicate balance: Finding the middle ground for livelihood and environmental conservation under artisanal and Small-scale mining in Ghana
How do local communities involved in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Ghana perceive the livelihood and environmental impacts of their activities? This is a crucial question that the Ghana Gold Value Chain Case Study (GGVCCS) sought to answer. The case study team visited Kunsu (6th August 2024, Ahafo Ano South District) and Manso Yawkrom (23rd July 2024, Amansie West District) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, engaging with the communities as part of the 3rd quarter activities in 2024. The aim was to understand whether the documented impacts of ASM (from literature sources) resonated with the perspectives of the local communities, underscoring the importance of their insights in our research.
The engagement with the communities revealed significant insights into how each community perceives the challenges and opportunities posed by ASM. Our deliberations with the communities revealed that they are caught between the lure of economic opportunities offered by ASM and the grim reality of environmental and social degradation. In both communities, members observed that ASM economic benefits – such as employment, increased household income, and improved infrastructure – are offset by soil degradation, water pollution, and decline in agricultural production.
Several health and social issues (e.g., teenage pregnancy, child labour) are on the rise due to the influx of migrants in search of job opportunities. Our interactions with the communities also disclosed deep-seated frustration with media networks and personalities and government policies and interventions. Community members recognised the importance of enforcing relevant regulations but were sceptical of government interventions such as Green Ghana and Community Mining Schemes. Both communities were also highly critical of how the media portrays ASM, indicating that the media focuses on sensationalism instead of presenting the truth.
The Ghana Gold Value Chain Case Study (GGVCCS) is one of the four case studies in BIOTRAILS. Implemented by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), it primarily aims to co-identify problems, co-design interventions in the ASM sector, and implement interventions in the ASM sector towards sustainable gold production in Ghana.