The Socio-Economic Impact of Sand Winning in the Ga Districts

One major problem found in the Ga districts is indiscriminate sand winning and its associated negative effects on the environment, farming and health. This study therefore aims at identifying and measuring the impact of sand winning on the socio-economic life of communities in the Ga districts. To achieve these objectives, the study examines and evaluates institutional and operational framework controlling sand winning communities and provides recommendations. I apply a cross sectional descriptive and expository method using frequencies, pictures, cross tabulations and means to measure the impact. Stakeholders such as the communities, chiefs and elders, district officials among others were interviewed. Data were also collected from Minerals commission, Town and City Planning Departments and the Ga District Assemblies. Findings from the study reveal that there is non-adherence to the ungazetted bye-laws and other operational standards by sand winners and some stakeholders. There are both positive and negative effects associated with sand winning. The benefits include income for the land owners, revenue for the districts assemblies, source of raw materials for building and construction and employment for the youth. The study further revealed that sand winning activities have serious negative effects on farming with most farmlands being leased for sand winning purposes. Health problems like malaria, skin diseases, buruli ulcer among others are found associated with indiscriminate sand winning activities. Other negative effects include low incomes, poor nutritional levels, increases in school drop-out and environmental degradation such as land degradation, air pollution noise pollution, Based on my findings I recommend the districts to expedite action on gazetting the byelaws for their effective enforcement and co-ordination amongst all stakeholders to enforce operational standards and to monitor the operations of sand winners. Other recommendations include; provision of education for all stakeholders about the institutional and operational framework, adoption of participatory approach to monitoring the operations of sand winners and creation of incentive for sand winners to operate legally.