Fifteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The paper employs a mixture of theoretical and conceptual underpinnings to unpack the issues relating to the rise and impact of illegal small-scale mining in Ghana. The paper draws from the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and the Resource Curse Hypothesis, also known as the Paradox of Plenty to assess the impacts of the rise in illegal small-scale mining on livelihoods of mining communities. This is accomplished via a qualitative study using illegal small-scale mining in the Talensi and Nabdam districts of Ghana as a case study. The research argues that illegal small-scale mining creates vulnerability in mining communities because of destruction in some of the capital assets upon which people derive their means of living. At the forefront of this phenomenon are rent-seeking elites, whereas structural factors such as rising unemployment and high population growth, as well as opportunistic factors including low barriers to entry, get-rich quick syndrome, and political corruption/weak institutions are fueling it as well. Although there are some economic benefits of illegal small-scale mining, these benefits are undermined by factors associated with the Resource Curse Hypothesis (RCH) or the ‘Paradox of Plenty.’ Most illegal small-scale mining communities are characterized by increased rent-seeking activities by diverse stakeholders particularly the elites, poor investments in human capital development, and weak institutional structures and processes. To sustainably address the illegal small-scale gold mining menace in Ghana, all efforts should be aimed at holistically dealing with the rent-seekers, especially the elites involved, eliminating their motives and removing the conditions that facilitate their involvement.

Presenters

Osman Antwi Boateng
Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations, United Arab Emirates University, Abū Z̧aby [Abu Dhabi], United Arab Emirates