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Socio-ecological analysis of artisanal gold mining in West Africa: a case study of Ghana

Takyi Richard, Hassan Rasha, El Mahrad Badr, Adade Richard

Journal of Sustainable Mining

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2021

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Vol. 20, iss. 3

206--219

EN

The surge in artisanal gold mining (AGM) activities and the associated environmental impact in Ghana have elicited several stakeholders' attempts to curb the problem. However, due to little understanding of the underlying issues, these efforts have been ineffective. This study aims to use a socio-ecological framework to analyze drivers of AGM activities, the environmental pressures, the state change, their impact on human welfare, and the management response as measures (DAPSI(W)R(M)) to the problem. Evaluate AGM's impact on Ghana's ability to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data were collected from relevant literature on the subject and analyzed with the DAPSI(W) R(M) framework. Esteem needs, food, acceptance and friendship, and self-actualization are the main drivers of AGM activities leading to environmental pressures, including abrasion, extraction of living and non-living resources, the introduction of non-synthetic compounds, among others. State changes of the environment resulting from the pressures generated by human activities were changes in the land and forest cover (1.13%), topography (hills turned into flatland and undulating), and biota. Due to the state in the environment, water quality and availability, agriculture food production, fish yield, food safety, spiritual and cultural loss, death, injury, and health of gold miners and other stakeholders have been affected.

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Natural and anthropogenic factors influencing abundance of the benthic macrofauna along the shelf and slope of the Gulf of Guinea, a large marine ecosystem off West Africa

Pabis Krzysztof, Sobczyk Robert, Siciński Jacek, Ensrud Tor, Serigstadt Bjorn

Oceanologia

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2020

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No. 62 (1)

83--100

EN

The West African continental margin belongs to the least known areas in terms of the ecology of benthic ecosystems. At the same time, this region is influenced by various threats associated with human activities, including industrialisation and oil excavation. Here, we analyse the abundance and distribution patterns of macrozoobenthic communities along the coast of Ghana. The material was collected in 2012 on nine transects at depths ranging from 25 to 1000 m. Over 200 quantitative samples were collected using a 0.1-m2 van Veen grab. Generally, the mean density of macrozoobenthos decreased gradually from the shallow zone (25 m: 231.4 ± 262.2 ind./0.1 m2) down to bathyal depths (1000 m: 55.4 ± 51.4 ind./0.1 m2), but we observed intermediate scale variability in distribution patterns among the transects along the Ghanaian coast. Analysis of environmental factors showed no evidence of substantial pollution, although levels of hydrocarbons, barium and some other toxic metals show some local increases at particular stations, especially on the continental slope. Cluster analysis based on Bray-Curtis similarity and abundance of higher taxonomic groups of macrofauna yielded five groups of stations, while SIMPER analysis demonstrated that polychaetes and amphipods contributed most significantly to within-group similarity. Canonical Correspondence Analysis demonstrated that PAH, THC and toxic metal levels (Ba, Cd, Pb), as well as oxygen concentration, were the most important factors structuring benthic communities.

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Apprenticeship: trends experiences and expectations of Kumasi Suame magazine informal industrial enclave in Ghana

Amrago Donald, Dachniewski Marcel, Danquah Bright

Journal of Management Challenges

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2020

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No. 1

5--13

EN

Apprenticeship is a system of learning a craft or trade from one who is engaged in it and of paying for instruction for a given number of years of work. The practice was known in ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as modern Europe and to some extent the United States of America. It was typical in the medieval Europe for a master craftsman to agree to instruct a young man, to give him shelter, food and clothing to work for the master for a given time. The apprentice after this becomes a journey person who will work for the master for wages, or he/she sets up as master him/herself.

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Sustainable development in Ghana's gold mines: Clarifying the stakeholder's perspective

Dery Tuokuua Francis Xavier, Kpinpuo Stephen Debar, Hinson Robert Ebo

Journal of Sustainable Mining

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2019

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Vol. 18, iss. 2

77--84

EN

Using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs), this study examined critical stakeholder's perceptions, experiences and competence in assuring the sustainable management of Ghana's major gold mines. The investigation was inspired by a synthesis of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the global community in September 2015; it places human resource capacity at the center of a sustainability struggle between local and international businesses. The findings of this study encompass two opposing but interesting perspectives. On the one hand, the study showed that sustainable development is understood differently by stakeholders within the gold mining sector in Ghana, which is why gold mining companies employ different approaches in their pursuit of sustainability objectives. On the other hand, the study revealed that, as mining activities are similar across different mining companies, common understanding and operation of sustainable development in the country's gold mines is a more practical approach to sustaining mining operations. This study further revealed that to facilitate the effective implementation of sustainable development within Ghana's gold mines and to ensure its alignment with SDGs, a regulatory framework is required and this should be developed based on the input of stakeholders.

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Performance analysis of a desiccant evaporative cooling system for mango fruit storage in the savannah and transitional zones of Ghana

Awafo Edward, Addo Ahmad, Bart-Plange Ato

Agricultural Engineering

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2019

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Vol. 23, No. 3

1--14

EN

Performance analysis of a 1.0 tonne desiccant evaporative cooling storage structure for mango fruits was studied. The study examined the effects of inlet air conditions and water flow rates through an absorber on the cooling performance of the system. The airflow rate was approximately 0.24 m3·s -1 and water flow rates through the absorber varied from 0 to 0.252 l·s -1 . The system produced approximately 7 kW of cooling at water supply rate of 0.252 l·s -1. A simple linear correlation was established for condition line slope from inlet to exiting air conditions for all the water flow rates. Lines of best fit resulted in correlation coefficient better than 0.96. The observed temperatures with a direct evaporative cooler, tested with freshly harvested mango fruits were found to be between 15.1°C and 23.4°C and relative humidity between 81.8% and 97.7%. Physiological weight loss and firmness assessments of the fruits were also conducted.

PL

Artykuł omawia analizę wydajności chłodni wyparnej o poj. 1,0 tony, wykorzystywanej do przechowywania owoców mango. Zbadano wpływ warunków wlotowych powietrza i szybkości przepływu wody przez pochłaniacz na wydajność chłodniczą systemu. Natężenie przepływu powietrza wynosiło około 0,24 m3·s-1 , a natężenie przepływu wody przez absorber wahało się od 0 do 0,252 l·s-1 . W tym czasie wyprodukowano około 7 kW chłodu przy przepływie wody wynoszącym 0,252 l·s -1 . Określono prostą korelację liniową nachylenia linii wykresu warunków, od wlotu do wylotu powietrza, dla wszystkich wielkości przepływu wody. Linie o najlepszym dopasowaniu dały współczynnik korelacji powyżej 0,96. Zaobserwowane temperatury chłodni wyparnej, sprawdzane na świeżo zebranych owocach mango, wynosiły od 15,1°C do 23,4°C, a wilgotność względna od 81,8% do 97,7 %. Dokonano również oceny fizjologicznej utraty masy i jędrności owoców.

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Analyzing the effect of Akoben programme on the environmental performance of mining in Ghana: A case study of a gold mining company

Bawua S. A., Owusu R.

Journal of Sustainable Mining

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2018

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Vol. 17, iss. 1

11--19

EN

This study assessed the impact of Ghana's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Akoben programme, a rating and disclosure tool which seeks to promote better environmental performance in the mining and manufacturing industries in Ghana. Using a case study approach, the Akoben audit report card for a mining company was analyzed over a three-year period (2009e2011) based on 7-criteria e legal requirements, hazardous on-site waste management, toxic emissions management, environmental monitoring and reporting, best practice environmental management, complaint management, and corporate social responsibility. Key stakeholders' perceptions of the programme's suitability were solicited from the Ghana Chamber of Mines, EPA, and the mining company. Findings revealed that overall environmental performance over the three-year period under review was poor (2009 - 56.6%; 2010 - 65.6%; 2011 - 59.1%) with none of the years meeting the expected minimum limit, with the exception of legal requirements and corporate social responsibilities; the company failed in all other criteria. Specifically, both toxic and non-toxic waste emission discharges were major concerns as toxic parameters, such as for Arsenic, pH and Cyanide, were exceeded. Environmental monitoring and reporting was also a problem for the company. Stakeholders identified inadequate publicity, an absence of legal backing, and a lack of incentives for outstanding performances as the main weaknesses of the programme. Despite this, the stakeholders acknowledge the fact that the Akoben programme has improved the environmental performance of the mining companies because it puts their operations in check, although more can yet be achieved with regards environmental sustainability with this programme, if adequate measures including legal backing are put in place to ensure its continuity.

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An analysis of the Ghanaian power generation sector using an optimization model

Diawuo F. A., Kamiński J.

Journal of Power Technologies

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2017

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Vol. 97, nr 1

15--27

EN

The Ghana power sector has faced several challenges in the area of supply-demand balances alongside electricity tariff regulations, in particular during the past decade. This has had direct consequences on its ability to meet increasing demand. Other issues are expected to arise in the future, such as the introduction of carbon tax and a move to renewables to reduce atmospheric emissions. This paper addresses these issues through creating scenarios and making comparisons, which provide ideas on how these situations might affect the generation mix and the cost of generation. To this end a shortrun computable model of the Ghana power generation system was developed to analyze those scenarios. The model is developed in the General Algebraic Modelling System (GAMS) as a Linear Programming problem.

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An analysis of illegal mining on the Offin shelterbelt forest reserve, Ghana: Implications on community livelihood

Boadi S., Nsor C. A., Antobre O. O., Acquah E.

Journal of Sustainable Mining

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2016

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Vol. 15, iss. 3

115--119

EN

Mining in tropical countries contributes significantly to the global minerals supplies but unregulated mining activities in reserved forests is associated with destruction, loss of habitats and loss of biodiversity. This study determined the area of the Offin shelterbelt forest reserve, Ghana, degraded through illegal mining (galamsey) and the impacts on the livelihoods of fringe communities. Thirty-two (32) coordinates were recorded around the peripheries of disturbed site in the reserve using hand-held Global Positioning System and were then imported into a geodatabase in ArcGIS which was used to estimate the area degraded. Data was obtained from 60 purposively sampled respondents from two communities fringing the reserve and 10 key informant interviews. Increased income (13%), employment opportunities (6.7%) and increased market activities (2%) were some benefits of the illegal mining activities identified by the respondents. Eight respondents associated their employment with of the advent of illegal mining activities out which 6 (70%) were engaged directly in mining activities, while 2 (30%) were into trading. The miners earned cash income range of US $ 2.9e22.9 daily. Within 5 years, illegal mining had degraded 2.5 km2 (4.4%) of the total area of the reserve and the destruction of cocoa farms and water sources (31). Farming among respondents reduced from 90% to 76% after illegal mining. The relatively high cost (US$ 6424.1) involved in flushing out and the subsequent return of such miners poses a threat to sustainable forest management and requires a more holistic approach in tackling such a problem.

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Challenges in transportation sector in Ghana

Quaye D. N. D., Szpytko J.

Journal of KONBiN

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2010

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No. 4 (16)

105--114

EN

The goal of developing societies or countries in establishing high thriving economic environments cannot be given a more concrete push than a much more critical attention to their transportation sectors which is at the heart of every business or service that is undertaken. However, the imposing challenges facing this fast growing transportation sector all over the world cannot be over emphasized particularly for developing countries. This paper takes a look at major problems of the transport sector in Ghana and provides critical measures from policies to areas that require pragmatic commitments in fully improving the sector.

PL

Artykuł podejmuje istotne dla sektora transportowego w Ghanie zagadnienia wymagające rozwiązania, w rezultacie ich identyfikacji i rozwiązań celem udoskonalenia istniejącego systemu.

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Harmful Postures and Musculoskeletal Symptoms Among Sanitation Workers of a Fish Processing Factory in Ghana: A Preliminary Investigation

Quansah R.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2005

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Vol. 11, No. 2

171--180

EN

This study investigated musculoskeletal symptoms among sanitation workers of a fish-processing factory. The methods used included administration of a questionnaire, walk through observation, interview, task analysis and future workshop. All 27 male participants answered and submitted their questionnaires. Of the 11 operations identified, all except one was considered safe. Bent back, bent legs, and heavy manual handling were observed to impose intolerable health risk on participants. This corresponds with questionnaire results in which musculoskeletal symptoms were mostly prevalent in the neck, the shoulder, the low back, the wrists/hands and the upper back regions. Poor psychosocial complaints were also made on the job. There was no significant correlation (p < .05) between musculoskeletal symptoms and age, working hours and length of service. Neither was any significant correlation observed (p < .05) between psychosocial work factors and musculoskeletal symptoms. Recommendations such as task redesign to eliminate high-risk elements in operations, workplace changes and worker training were suggested.

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Harmful Postures and Musculoskeletal Symptoms Among Fish Trimmers of a Fish Processing Factory in Ghana: A Preliminary Investigation

Quansah R.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2005

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Vol. 11, No. 2

181--190

EN

This study investigated musculoskeletal symptoms among fish trimmers (skinners and polishers) in a fish processing factory in Ghana. The methods used included administration of questionnaire, walk through observation, interview, task analysis and future workshop. All 50 female participants answered and submitted their questionnaires. Of the 11 operations performed by skinners only 1 was rated as low risk. Also of the 12 operations performed by polishers only 2 were rated as low risk. Neck side bending, neck flexion, prolonged standing, shoulder elevation, abducted arms, repetitious reaching forward and wrist deviation were observed in most operations. This corresponds with questionnaire results in which musculoskeletal symptoms were mostly prevalent in the neck, the shoulder, the low back, the wrist/hand and the knee regions. There was no significant correlation (p < .05) between musculoskeletal symptoms and age, working hours and length of service. Task redesign, workplace changes and worker training were suggested to improve the work.