Gold mining in Ghana's forest reserves: a report on the current debate

Abstract

This paper examines the debate surrounding a recent decision made by the Ghanaian government to permit gold exploration – and potentially, mining – in ‘protected’ forest reserves. In 2001, four mining companies were awarded mineral exploration concessions in forested regions of the country, and have since put forward applications to mine for gold. Notwithstanding the sharp divide in opinion on the issue, the continued uncertainty surrounding the implications of the proposed activities makes further research on the ground imperative in the short term. Work aiming to elicit indigenous perspectives on the projects, as well as research that facilitates dialogue between and/or among stakeholder parties, should be prioritized.

Community–company relations in gold mining in Ghana

“…Environmental impacts include cyanide pollution, land degradation, and dust pollution; while socioeconomic impacts include chronic impoverishment, social disruption, decreased access to essential social and public services, human rights abuses, and loss of land and resources due to community relocation (Kumah, 2006). As a result of studies like these, there is increasing recognition of growing community resistance to mining activities (Hilson and Nyame, 2006;Jenkins, 2004).…”

Sustainable investment in the minerals sector: re-examining the paradigm

“…However, shortcomings of these approaches are evident if analyzed in the context of a sustainable development framework and when confronted with more complex issues that involve actors, values and interests other than the (often central) State-investor relationship, which pose questions of stricter standards of environmental protection, equity, social inclusion and local development. Some of these have been highlighted, from a range of perspectives, by a series of studies (see, for example, Campbell, 2004;Bastida, (unpublished), with regard to the delays and constraints in enacting a mine closure regime imposing financial sureties in Chile based on the decision not to impose higher costs on the investor; Hilson & Nyame, 2006, on the need to engage local communities on decisions on forest reserves in Ghana) and have only recently been implicitly acknowledged by and partially incorporated into World Bank documents (World Bank and ICMM, 2005). The extent of their application in legal reform remains to be seen.…”

Untitled

“…Gold mining in Ghana has offered little employment to indigenous Ghanaians, displaced small holder farmers and small-scale miners, led to cyanide spillage into water bodies, land degradation, dust pollution, chronic impoverishment and lost of land due to relocation inter alia (Jenkins, 2005;Hilson and Nyame, 2006). This has led to an increasing level of community resistance to mining activities by some local communities in the country.…”