Governance challenges in Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining (galamsey) sector: Is stakeholder interaction the way forward?

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations have surged in Ghana in recent years causing many environmental and social problems. The government has employed the military to eradicate illegal mining operations. However, despite the military’s countless efforts to clamp down on these illegal miners, it appears their involvement is not yielding the expected outcome. Several forms of collaboration and collusion are reported in the literature to have taken place between the illegal miners and the local stakeholders. However, little attention is given to how the interaction between the various stakeholders in the ASM sector can help remedy the galamsey menace. Drawing on the collaborative stakeholder participation perspective in natural resource governance and a qualitative research approach, this paper looks at the small-scale mining sector conundrum and how collaborative stakeholder engagement can contribute to transcending the problem. Results show that the collaboration between the stakeholders seldom involved key community actors like the chiefs and landlords in granting small-scale mining licences. We call for strong collaboration between the stakeholders as a good step to fighting illegal mining activities in Ghana. The study contributes to knowledge on enhancing collaborative mineral resource governance in developing countries.