Water supply and mining: the policy paradox in Ghana

Abstract

Ghana has been highly successful in mining for over a century. However, one area of concern is the negative impact of mining activities on water resources: their quality and quantity. Mining companies are guided by rules and regulations, particularly those that have to do with the quality of water supply. Safe water supply is essential for improved health and quality of life for increased productivity. Yet, water supply in mining communities has not assumed the critical importance that it deserves toward the realization of human health security. A combination of key informant interviews and a copious desk-top study of official documentary reports were analysed in the context of the polluter-pays principle. The paper interrogates the corporate social responsibility ambivalence that arises from fresh water contamination during the extraction of mineral resources in the western mining region of Ghana. In spite of some efforts at addressing this problem through corporate social responsibilities, communities affected by mining still question the professed sensitivity of mining companies to their plight with respect to their inalienable right to water supply.