Browsing by Subject "Artisanal and small-scale mining"

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Governance of land rehabilitation and remediation: case studies of Ghana’s small-scale mining sector
(2024) Adu-Baffour, Ferdinand Ababio; Birner, Regina
The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector is a complex and evolving industry that presents unique challenges within the global resource landscape. Despite its traditional labeling as artisanal, ASM operations are increasingly becoming mechanized, utilizing heavy machinery and hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide for mineral extraction. Concurrently, the informal nature of most ASM operations limits effective top-down regulatory enforcements due to governance challenges. These developments have led to wide spreads of degraded, contaminated and abandoned rural community lands which also serve as valuable agricultural and forest lands for inhabitants of affected mining communities. While the existing literature has extensively analyzed the impacts of these developments on local, national, and global economies, ecologies, health, and welfare, there remains a notable gap in understanding the governance of rehabilitating and remediating affected environments post-mineral extraction. Furthermore, phytoremediation – a biological innovation which can help remediate contaminated sites and address the problem of soil degradation and erosion, with reported economic and environmental benefits – has only seen very limited global commercial adoption. In regions where traditional remediation approaches are financially untenable, like in the Global South, however, phytoremediation is argued to be a suitable and viable solution towards a greener future for remediation and environmental restoration. This thesis aims to address the knowledge gaps pertaining to the governance of rehabilitating and remediating affected environments affected by mineral extraction in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector. Specifically, it focuses on systematically investigating the governance challenges in ASM, exploring community-based solutions for sustainable land restoration, and proposing a framework for the broader-based application of phytoremediation to address land contamination in the small-scale gold mining sector in Ghana. These research objectives are structured around three chapters, with the first two focusing on empirical case studies and the last chapter serving as a review of scientific and grey literature, as well as project reports on land rehabilitation and phytoremediation. Chapter 2, which addresses the first objective, delves into the obstacles hindering the implementation of the legal framework for artisanal small-scale mining (ASM) in Ghana. The first part conducts an institutional analysis of the legal and political framework governing Ghana’s small scale mining sector, with a particular focus on its implications for post-mined land rehabilitation efforts. This is followed by an assessment of the practical application of the legal framework in the context of small-scale gold mining (ASGM) value chain, using the Process Net-Mapping tool along with stakeholder interviews. The study reveals outdated legislation, formal licensing bureaucracies, land tenure issues, and ineffective collaboration among stakeholders as major bottlenecks. Drawing on these insights, the chapter discusses the broader implications of the findings for the effective running of the ASGM value chain and recommends, among other things, the adoption of collaborative governance systems, like co-management, to ensure sustainability. Chapter 3, which addresses the second objective, examines community-based solutions for sustainable mined land restoration through a case study of an NGO-initiated project in five active mining communities in Ghana's Amansie West district. The chapter utilizes a combination of qualitative methods including the participatory Net-Mapping tool to explore conditions under which local communities would engage in restoration efforts without financial incentives, revealing community support, using communal labor, dependent on factors like land tenure arrangements and local leadership influence. The study underscores the potential of community-led efforts for land rehabilitation, emphasizing the role of social networks, norms, and land tenure structures. Chapter 4, which addresses the third objective, introduces a conceptual framework for the effective and sustainable application of phytoremediation to clean contaminated lands resulting from mining activities. This is the result of insights drawn from existing phytoremediation literature, including case studies where the field application or/and commercialization of phytoremediation has been successful, and lessons gleaned from other real-world applications of the technology. The framework encompasses technical considerations across the phytoremediation process and identifies the socio-cultural, economic, political, and institutional conditions necessary for successful large-scale implementation. The paper provides valuable guidance for regions seeking to leverage phytoremediation to benefit society and the environment. In conclusion, this thesis contributes to understanding the challenges facing the ASM sector and proposes innovative solutions to address governance issues, promote community-based land restoration, and facilitate the scaling of phytoremediation initiatives for sustainable development in the mining sector, particularly in developing regions. The holistic approach advocated in this thesis underscores the importance of legal reforms tailored to the constantly evolving ASM sector, stakeholder collaboration, adaptive governance systems, and community engagement to effectively navigate the intricate ASM landscape and maximize its beneficial effects on local livelihoods and development worldwide.