Galamsey Fight in Ghana: An Analysis of Failure of Government Interventions Since 1989

Abstract

Illegal gold mining (galamsey) continues to be a threat to forest and water resources in Ghana. Even though galamsey is not new in Ghana, the use of heavy machines such as excavators and bulldozers, and chanfans are a recent phenomenon causing destruction to forests, farmlands and river bodies. Illegal mining undermines the government’s commitment to the attainment of the 17 sustainable development goals. Governments since 1989 have made attempts to clamp down on illegal mining using military interventions. Unfortunately, these programmes have failed to yield any results. Concerns about the destruction of the natural environment and the impacts of climate change have heightened the fear of illegal gold mining in Ghana. This paper, therefore, analyses the failure of government/military interventions aimed at fighting illegal gold mining in Ghana since 1989. To achieve the objective of the study, the qualitative research approach was used. A total of 26 individuals were interviewed. Exploratory and descriptive research designs were employed for the study. As part of data management, collected data from fieldwork were cleaned and edited for spelling mistakes and inconsistencies before entries were made for analysis. Data analysis was carried out manually. Finally, the study found that the failure of government interventions since 1989 is as a result of a lack of proper planning of programmes aimed at dealing with illegal gold mining and poor collaboration between government and chiefs/stakeholders. The paper contributes to the discussion on illegal mining in Ghana and its impact on the environment and sustainable development. Keywords: Illegal gold mining, forests, water bodies, government interventions, sustainable development, livelihood, stakeholders, planning and collaboration.