Who benefits from informal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Ghana? Evidence from the Amansie West District

Informal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has significantly expanded in Ghana and other African countries, often causing environmental degradation and social conflicts. However, insights on who benefits and the mechanisms used to benefit have not been well studied. We engaged the Theory of Access to examine the mechanisms actors involved in informal ASM use to gain, maintain and control benefits to mineral-rich lands in the Amansie West District of Ghana. Data were collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews with informal ASM operators, traditional leaders, local government officials, laborers, supervisors, landowners, youth leaders, and smallholder farmers from four communities in the district. Three mechanisms of access; rights-based, structural and relational, and socio-developmental merchandising where prospective ASM operators undertake social development projects to gain and maintain access to gold in mining communities were identified. These are complemented by force, capital, knowledge, labor opportunities, and identity. Traditional leaders and local governance authorities are involved in a symbiotic relationship in granting and controlling access to gold contrary to the laws of Ghana. Vigilante youth groups benefit from informal ASM by mounting barriers on access roads that lead to mining communities and collecting money for the passage of excavators and other heavy equipment used in ASM operations. The findings highlight the need for innovative policy interventions like a multi-stakeholder dialogue process that integrates customary and statutory systems to regulate informal ASM, ensuring it is both environmentally sustainable and beneficial for local communities and the state.