IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v13y2016i2p160-d62940.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing the Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts of Artisanal Gold Mining on the Livelihoods of Communities in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Samuel Obiri

    (Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box AE 1, Atomic, Accra, Ghana
    Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis, P.O. Box AD 738, Cape Coast, Ghana)

  • Precious A. D. Mattah

    (Directorate Academic Planning and Quality Assurance Unit, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Memuna M. Mattah

    (Department of Environmental and Development Studies, Central University College, P.O. Box 2305, Tema, Ghana
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Frederick A. Armah

    (Department of Environmental Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Shiloh Osae

    (Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box AE 1, Atomic, Accra, Ghana
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Sam Adu-kumi

    (Environmental Protection Agency, P.O. Box M 326, Accra, Ghana
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Philip O. Yeboah

    (Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box AE 1, Atomic, Accra, Ghana
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Gold mining has played an important role in Ghana’s economy, however the negative environmental and socio-economic effects on the host communities associated with gold mining have overshadowed these economic gains. It is within this context that this paper assessed in an integrated manner the environmental and socio-economic impacts of artisanal gold mining in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality from a natural and social science perspective. The natural science group collected 200 random samples on bi-weekly basis between January to October 2013 from water bodies in the study area for analysis in line with methods outlined by the American Water Works Association, while the social science team interviewed 250 residents randomly selected for interviews on socio-economic issues associated with mining. Data from the socio-economic survey was analyzed using logistic regression with SPSS version 17. The results of the natural science investigation revealed that the levels of heavy metals in water samples from the study area in most cases exceeded GS 175-1/WHO permissible guideline values, which are in tandem with the results of inhabitants’ perceptions of water quality survey (as 83% of the respondents are of the view that water bodies in the study area are polluted). This calls for cost-benefits analysis of mining before new mining leases are granted by the relevant authorities.

Suggested Citation

  • Samuel Obiri & Precious A. D. Mattah & Memuna M. Mattah & Frederick A. Armah & Shiloh Osae & Sam Adu-kumi & Philip O. Yeboah, 2016. "Assessing the Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts of Artisanal Gold Mining on the Livelihoods of Communities in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality in Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:13:y:2016:i:2:p:160-:d:62940
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/2/160/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/2/160/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mozhgon Rajaee & Samuel Obiri & Allyson Green & Rachel Long & Samuel J. Cobbina & Vincent Nartey & David Buck & Edward Antwi & Niladri Basu, 2015. "Integrated Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Ghana—Part 2: Natural Sciences Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-41, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Macêdo Coelho, Yuri Cavaleiro de & de Medeiros, Priscila Sanjuan & Santos, Janaira Almeida & Araújo Lucas, Flávia Cristina, 2022. "Perception of environmental impacts of aggregate mining: A case study from the municipality of Ourém, Pará, Brazil," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Poignant, Adrian, 2023. "Small-scale mining and agriculture: Evidence from northwestern Tanzania," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Dingde Xu & Enlai Liu & Xuxi Wang & Hong Tang & Shaoquan Liu, 2018. "Rural Households’ Livelihood Capital, Risk Perception, and Willingness to Purchase Earthquake Disaster Insurance: Evidence from Southwestern China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-19, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Katrina N. Burns & Kan Sun & Julius N. Fobil & Richard L. Neitzel, 2016. "Heart Rate, Stress, and Occupational Noise Exposure among Electronic Waste Recycling Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, January.
    2. Mozhgon Rajaee & Rachel N. Long & Elisha P. Renne & Niladri Basu, 2015. "Mercury Exposure Assessment and Spatial Distribution in A Ghanaian Small-Scale Gold Mining Community," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-28, September.
    3. Satomi Kimijima & Masayuki Sakakibara & Masahiko Nagai, 2021. "Detection of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Activities and Their Transformation Using Earth Observation, Nighttime Light, and Precipitation Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-12, October.
    4. Nurfitri Abdul Gafur & Masayuki Sakakibara & Satoru Komatsu & Sakae Sano & Koichiro Sera, 2022. "Environmental Survey of the Distribution and Metal Contents of Pteris vittata in Arsenic–Lead–Mercury-Contaminated Gold Mining Areas along the Bone River in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-13, January.
    5. Hermínio Cossa & Rahel Scheidegger & Andrea Leuenberger & Priska Ammann & Khátia Munguambe & Jürg Utzinger & Eusébio Macete & Mirko S. Winkler, 2021. "Health Studies in the Context of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-24, February.
    6. Benedict N. L. Calys-Tagoe & Lauretta Ovadje & Edith Clarke & Niladri Basu & Thomas Robins, 2015. "Injury Profiles Associated with Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Tarkwa, Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-16, July.
    7. E. Kyeremateng-Amoah & Edith E. Clarke, 2015. "Injuries among Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Miners in Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-11, September.
    8. Katherine von Stackelberg & Pamela R.D. Williams & Ernesto Sánchez-Triana, 2021. "A Systematic Framework for Collecting Site-Specific Sampling and Survey Data to Support Analyses of Health Impacts from Land-Based Pollution in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-24, April.
    9. Satomi Kimijima & Masayuki Sakakibara & Masahiko Nagai & Nurfitri Abdul Gafur, 2021. "Time-Series Assessment of Camp-Type Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Sectors with Large Influxes of Miners Using LANDSAT Imagery," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-14, September.
    10. Pyae Sone Soe & Win Thiri Kyaw & Koji Arizono & Yasuhiro Ishibashi & Tetsuro Agusa, 2022. "Mercury Pollution from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Myanmar and Other Southeast Asian Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-21, May.
    11. Sri Manovita Pateda & Masayuki Sakakibara & Koichiro Sera, 2021. "Element Rich Area Associated with Human Health Disorders: A Geomedical Science Approach to Potentially Toxic Elements Contamination," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-9, November.
    12. Niladri Basu & Elisha P. Renne & Rachel N. Long, 2015. "An Integrated Assessment Approach to Address Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-16, September.
    13. Samuel J. Cobbina & Abudu B. Duwiejuah & Reginald Quansah & Samuel Obiri & Noel Bakobie, 2015. "Comparative Assessment of Heavy Metals in Drinking Water Sources in Two Small-Scale Mining Communities in Northern Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, August.
    14. Fernando Morante-Carballo & Néstor Montalván-Burbano & Maribel Aguilar-Aguilar & Paúl Carrión-Mero, 2022. "A Bibliometric Analysis of the Scientific Research on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-29, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:13:y:2016:i:2:p:160-:d:62940. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.