Mining
• What is mining?
• Brief history of mining - Global and Ghana
• Types of mining/extraction
• Benefits of mining
• Adverse effects of mining
• The way forward
Mining
• It is the extraction of naturally occurring valuable minerals
such as gold, oil/petroleum, diamond, and salt from the earth
crust or under the sea.
• They are non-renewable resource - cannot be grown
through agricultural processes or created artificially in a
laboratory or factory -human cannot add to it
• These minerals are usually of economic value
History of Mining
• Egypt is credited to have first mined Gold on the Sinai
peninsular/mountain around 3000BC
• Mining usually involves three main processes of
prospecting or exploration, evaluation, extraction and
reclamation
• Extraction may take the form of surface mining or sub-
surface/underground mining. The latter takes the form
of vertical and horizontal tunnels
History of Mining - Ghana
• Ghana started mining gold around 1493 (Chamber of
Mines, 1998)
• Is currently the leading producer of gold in Africa and
the seventh leading producer in the World
• Minerals represent over 39% of the country’s export
trade
• Ghana - discovered oil in commercial quantities in
2007 and she is currently an oil producing country
Benefits of Mining - Ghana
• Gold is the most commercially exploited mineral, representing
about 95% of the country's mineral revenue.
• It contributes 5.7% to Ghana's GDP and roughly 40% of its foreign
exchange earnings
• Minerals contributes to 40% of the country's total merchandise
export earnings – 1992 to date.
• It constitutes 38.3% of Ghana's total corporate tax earnings and
27.6% of government revenue. Pay royalties to traditional
authorities
• Technology transfer and provision of social amenities/services such
as health facilities, recreational centres, etc.,
• Offers about 34, 000 person - direct and indirect as at 2020
Adverse Effects of Mining
• The adverse effects of mining in general occur during
and after operations have ended. They arise from the
activities and omissions of both legal (large or small)
and particularly the illegal ones popularly referred to as
Galamsey. The effects may be categorized into broad
areas of environmental, health and socio-economic.
• According to the International Labour Organization
(ILO), mining is one of the most hazardous industries in
the world and that more than 15,000 persons die
annually from mining related accidents (ILO Report,
2012; World Count 2023)
Adverse Effects of Mining [Cont.]
• It pollutes both surface and underground water
bodies (WACAM, 2013). If such water bodies
serve as a source of drinking water then, it may
lead to water borne diseases
• It also affects aquatic life - death of fishes and the
whales
• According to the Ghana Aids Commission
Reports, mining communities/towns are among*
settlements with high rate of HIV/AIDs
infection/cases (GAC, 2012)
Adverse Effects of Mining [Cont.]
• High incidence of chest diseases especially among children and the
aged
• Children born with congenital diseases near mining area
• Some houses develop cracks as a result of the use of dynamite in
blasting rocks
• There are occasional misunderstanding and conflict between
residents/indigenes and the mining companies over non fulfilment of
certain pledges made before the commencement of work
Adverse Effects of Mining [Cont.]
• There are occasional misunderstanding and conflict
between mining communities over the location of
projects to be provided by the mining companies.
• Communities which are relocated usually complaint
of the nature* of the residential facilities provided
• Those who loss their lands to mining activities
usually complain of inadequate compensation
Adverse Effects of Mining [Cont.]
• There is usually high level of school drop out or
truancy especially among teenagers and transitional
results are usually poor
• Cost of living is relatively higher while some mining
companies engage in unfair trade*
• Invariably it leads to land degradation
• Tunnels left behind become dead traps to both human
and animals especially domestic animals
The Way Forward
• Continuous education and sensitization of mining communities,
miners and the general public on responsible mining as well as the
adverse effects of irresponsible mining
• Enforcements of mining regulations/rules (no mining in water bodies,
forest reserves, etc.) and prosecution of offenders
• Collaboration of the two major parties on the fight against the menace
- for the purposes of electoral fortune, it may be very difficult for one
part to fight Galamsey in particular
• Alternative sources of employment and income for those who earn
their livelihood from illegal mining
The Way Forward
• The use of technology to track the location of those who are
engaging in mining activities which are detrimental (in forest
reserves, water bodies, etc.) to society
• Alternative means of extracting and washing gold which has
no or very little effects on the environment
• Enforcement on land reclamation after mining activities have
ended
• Documentation of agreed benefits to mining communities in
the form of corporate social responsibility
• Use of mining royalties for legacy projects which will benefit
the communities
What have you Learned?
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