By 2014 and 2018, the figure rose to 34.4 and 41.1 percent, respectively, (Ghana Chamber of Mines, 2014 and 2019). Despite the clearly laid out formalization process in the Ghana's Mineral and Mining Act (Act 703), bureaucratic bottlenecks and prohibitive licensing costs are compelling between 60 and 80 percent of miners to operate illegally.

In the lush landscapes of Ghana, illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has cast a dark shadow over the nation's development. It threatens the environment, society and economy of the...

A Ghanaian court has ended a case that began in 2017 which exposed the involvement of a Chinese woman, Aisha Huang in the illegal gold mining endemic on the Gold Coast. The court ruled that the Chinese national was guilty, effectively sending her to jail. Chinese national Aisha Huang was sentenced to four years in jail for illegal gold …

Amid increasing climate change and environmental degradation, illegal mining (galamsey) has received widespread public concern in Ghana, with greater …

23 April 2024 1:03pm. Award-winning journalist Erastus Asare Donkor is advocating for a concerted effort to enact policies aimed at curbing illegal mining activities in gold-rich regions of Ghana ...

Effects of Galamsey or Illegal Mining in Ghana. The Ghana Cocoa Board projects its annual cocoa output to rise to 1.6million tonnes by 2026. But this is threatened by the activities of illegal miners. Most cocoa farmers stand aloof and watch helplessly whilst their farms get destroyed by illegal miners others trade in the farmlands for …

The study, therefore, accentuates the need for illegal small-scale gold mining to be formalised and strategic interventions and policies proposed for the protection of Ghana's Natural resources. Furthermore, community members should be involved in policy-making and environmental protection issues to help control the menace of landscape ...

ABSTRACT Amid increasing climate change and environmental degradation, illegal mining (galamsey) has received widespread public concern in Ghana, with greater attention in recent times due to increased media coverage. This paper explores the role of the media in the ongoing crackdown on galamsey activities through a Media Agenda …

The Narratives of Illegal Gold Mining in Ghana The results from the review of existing literature and previous experiences of illegal mining informs of striking set of narratives on illegal mining and its threat to sustainable …

The high incidence of galamsey or illegal mining in recent times, have been on several discussions and heated debates for some time now and has perplexed the minds of the general public in...

The Minerals and Mining Policy of Ghana, 2014), has the potential to solve some of the issues confronting mining in Ghana.Just a critical examination of the three pillars of the 2014 Minerals and Mining Policy of Ghana, as shown in Fig. 1 suggests that if these pillars were implemented in the latter, Ghanaians would not have been crying foul …

Such a comprehensive approach is needed in order for policy makers to effectively combat the menace of illegal small-scale mining in Ghana, which continues to be a challenge. Any effective policy against illegal Chinese small-scale mining should address the pull factors that attracted Chinese miners to come to Ghana for illegal mining.

mining in Ghana has also seen some significant improvement in the livelihoods of communities where gold mining is in operation (Ofosu et al., 2020). In Ghana, the people own the mineral resource with

New legal amendments to the Minerals and Mining Act of 2006 would increase penalties for both foreigners involved and their local partners. Law enforcement agencies would also be given new powers, including the ability to confiscate equipment, according to the Minerals Commission. The issue of illegal mining has even negatively impacted ...

In Ghana's fight against illegal mining, President Akufo-Addo established an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) in 2017 and a task force called …

Current State of Illegal Gold Mining in Ghana: There is an alarming rate of illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana, with an estimated 60% to 80% of small-scale miners operating without proper licenses and oversight1 2 3. These unregulated operations often employ dangerous materials, techniques, and equipment including the widespread use of

Recent interest by governmental, non-governmental and civil society organisations in monitoring, tracing, tracking and flushing out illegal mining activities in Ghana has intensified due to the fact that large tracts of arable lands, forests and water resources are destroyed by this group of illegal miners. Yet, the scale of operation, …

Illegal mining, also known as galamsey, is the practice of mining for minerals or precious metals without proper authorization or licensing from the government. This practice has become widespread ...

The impact of illegal mining in Ghana is vast and multifaceted, touching upon environmental, public health, and social aspects. The detrimental consequences of …

Currently, illegal miners, who constitute over 85% of small-scale miners, are not engaged in policy development dialogues and have been subject to brutal …

The government through its agencies (Ministry of Mines and Natural Resources) directly handles the issues of illegal mining. However, the roles of opinion leaders such as chiefs, assembly members ...

Her arrest and recent sentencing are emblematic of Ghana's serious, ongoing problem with Chinese involvement in illegal artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASM). A Ghanaian court on December 4 sentenced Huang to 4½ years in prison and levied a $4,000 fine for running an illegal mining operation. Authorities told reporters …

19 October 2023 11:29pm. Tests conducted on ten major rivers across the country have revealed high levels of dangerous heavy metals. The Oda, Ankobra, Tano, Offin and six others presented ...

The team is tasked with tackling illegal mining in the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions of Ghana – the most affected areas. Between 2017 and 2019, the team has arrested over 2 200 illegal miners, including foreign nationals. Gaining national interest. One arrest that gained national attention was that of the 'Galamsey Queen' – Aisha ...

It is just like the illegal gold mining business in other parts of Ghana. The government of Ghana talks about combatting it, but the activities still occur because, in many cases, those who are actually behind the practice of illegal gold mining are active politicians and traditional chiefs, while others are ardent supporters of political parties.

Policy reforms also need to reclassify Ghana's artisanal and small-scale mining sector. This would result in more effective control and accountability measures. …

The study identified two key related factors that drive illegal mining in Ghana. First, the mines are transient but getting a mining licence is time-consuming. Second, the regulatory framework ...

The government of Ghana has seen the need for real-time information on mining activities. SERVIR-West Africa in collaboration with Center for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS) are using Earth Observation and geospatial technologies to provide visual and analytic spatio-temporal (through time and space) …

Ghana's renewed fight against illegal mining between 2017 and 2021 saw the arrests of hundreds of Chinese illegal miners either as sponsors or workers at illegal mining sites. However, statistics of foreign nationals in Ghana's prisons, which the Ghana Prisons Service provided to The Fourth Estate, showed that as of July 2021, only two ...

In 2022, for instance, Ghana lost 18,000 hectares of primary forest—a small area in objective terms, but actually quite significant for Ghana, considering that the country doesn't have much ...