Impacts of Mining on the Natural Environment and Wellbeing of Mining-Fringe Communities in Prestea, Ghana

Abstract

Although Small Scale surface mining has grown significantly in the developing world in recent decades, the hive of environmental and socio-economic discontents that accompanies large-scale surface mining activities are very much unprecedented. This paper therefore examines the operations of large scale mining group in the context of such discontents, in the case of Prestea, a vibrant mining town in the Prestea-Huni Valley District Assembly Area in the Western Region of Ghana. Case study approach within a naturalistic and interpretivist paradigm is the research design for this proposed study. The specific case involves the activities of BGL within the context of community safety and sustainability. Both quantitative and qualitative primary dataset were used in this study, coupled with observations and site visits. In-community survey was carried out with a total of seventy respondents (including mining employees) and SPSS analysis was done on the gathered data. The qualitative primary data were collected using in-depth, semistructured interviews with representatives of case company and stakeholder institutions and departments. Secondary data from case company and stakeholder institutions were subjected to content analysis. The findings of the study reveal that although the economic contribution of the mining sector towards the area’s economy is significant, the environmental and social wellbeing of host communities do not received equal enthusiasm and attention from the case company. The paper therefore critically assesses the effectiveness of the current remedial measures by the case company and makes policy recommendations to promote cleaner and safer production.