Planning for the effective and sustainable management of Ghana’s artisanal small-scale gold mining industry

Over the years, artisanal small-scale mining (ASM) activities have been associated with unacceptable mining practices, which pose several health and environmental risks to communities and nations at large. Ghana is currently confronted with pollution of its main water bodies, which has reduced the supply of good quality water to the populace. To address these problems, several attempts - policy formulation, formalisation and introduction of technical assistance - have been undertaken by the government of Ghana and other international bodies such as United Nations Industrial Development Organisation-UNIDO. Despite these attempts, majority of artisanal small-scale miners are not registered and even some registered miners together with unregistered miners indulge in unacceptable mining practices. Premised on these, the study sought to undertake a thorough review of the challenges associated with the management of ASM in Ghana and provide a framework for the effective management of the sector. Consequently, a three-pronged approach (problem analysis, planning and implementation and enforcement) with a cross-cutting focus on monitoring and evaluation is recommended.