ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Gold in Ghana: The effects of changes in large-scale mining on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)

Two scales of gold mining operations, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and large-scale mining, have operated side by side in Ghana for decades. In the past, the two co-existed on the same mineralised land without much contact or conflict, as large-scale mining occurred underground and ASM operated mainly on the surface. With the former’s transition from an underground labour-intensive mining operation to capital-intensive surface activity, however, opportunities for wage employment have reduced leading to labour retrenchment. Using an informalisation theoretical framework, and drawing on fieldwork conducted in the three gold mining towns of Obuasi, Prestea and Kenyasi, this paper explores how the interface between large-scale mining and ASM has evolved. It is shown how the loss of wage employment opportunities in large-scale mining has contributed to the proliferation of illegal ASM operations. As large-scale surface mining operations have reduced access to mi neralised land by ASM, the latter have encroached on to the concessions of the former resulting in conflicts between these parties. It is ASM rather than large-scale mining, however, that is sustaining local economies in Ghana. As the economic well-being of mining towns is linked largely to the fortune of their mining economies, it is imperative that an innovative approach is adopted by the state in addressing the need for ASMs to access mineralised land.

Source: UG
Gold in Ghana: The effects of changes in large-scale mining on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)

Two scales of gold mining operations, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and large-scale mining, have operated side by side in Ghana for decades. In the past, the two co-existed on the same mineralised land without much contact or conflict, as large-scale mining occurred underground and ASM operated mainly on the surface. With the former’s transition from an underground labour-intensive mining operation to capital-intensive surface activity, however, opportunities for wage employment have reduced leading to labour retrenchment. Using an informalisation theoretical framework, and drawing on fieldwork conducted in the three gold mining towns of Obuasi, Prestea and Kenyasi, this paper explores how the interface between large-scale mining and ASM has evolved. It is shown how the loss of wage employment opportunities in large-scale mining has contributed to the proliferation of illegal ASM operations. As large-scale surface mining operations have reduced access to mineralised land by ASM, the latter have encroached on to the concessions of the former resulting in conflicts between these parties. It is ASM rather than large-scale mining, however, that is sustaining local economies in Ghana. As the economic well-being of mining towns is linked largely to the fortune of their mining economies, it is imperative that an innovative approach is adopted by the state in addressing the need for ASMs to access mineralised land.

Source: UG
Gold mining and corporate social responsibility in the Wassa West district, Ghana

Despite a boom in gold mining in Ghana's Wassa West district (WWD), unemployment and poverty have deepened, partly due to loss of farmland to surface mining but more so because of the limited opportunities for wage employment in the district's 'revived' gold-mining industry. However, the large-scale mining companies are implementing some alternative livelihood programmes (ALPs) as part of their corporate social-responsibility (CSR) agenda. While the ALPs have provided some employment and income-earning opportunities and skills training, the prospects for their sustainability depend on how the challenges confronting the various programmes are addressed. This will require a well-coordinated approach involving all the key stakeholders. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

Source: UG
Gold Mining and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Wassa West District, Ghana

Despite a boom in gold mining in Ghana’s Wassa West district unemployment and poverty have deepened largely due to loss of farm land to surface mining and limited employment opportunities in the ‘revived’ gold mining industry. The large-scale mining companies are implementing some alternative livelihood programmes (ALPs) as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda. While the ALPs implemented so far have had some effects in terms of providing some employment and skill training, the prospects for the sustainability of these ALPs would seem to be in doubt without continued commitment and financial resources from the mining companies.

Source: UG
Gold Mining and its Effects through the Lens of an Archaeologist: Experiences from the Prestea Area, South Western Ghana

Gold has a historical, economic and cultural heritage in Ghana’s past. Over two millennia, its exploration, mining and trade has fascinated many. Mining and its associated effects on the environment have recently generated heated debates among stakeholders. Various research has been conducted on the subject; however, little ethnoarchaeological inquiries have been done in Ghana. This paper presents the effects of the mining industry from an ethnoarchaeological perspective at Prestea and its environs. The evidence shows the various effects of mining on both the natural environment and the socio-economic and cultural structures in the Prestea area of south-western Ghana.

Source: UG
Gold mining and the socio-economic development of Obuasi in Adanse

This article seeks to project the important role played by gold mining in economic development of modern areas of Obuasi and Adanse in Ghana. It challenges those scholars who doubt the transformative, developmental and poverty alleviation roles of the mining industry in Ghana. The study is based on archival and oral research, and it arguments are articulated in a historical narrative fashion that link the past and the present while revealing the developmental role of the mining industry in Ghana.

Source: UG
Gold Mining Effects on Water Quality in Domenase and Nkotumso along River Offin, Upper Denkyira West District

Artisanal gold mining (ASM) has been an important source of primary livelihood activity for poor populations in Ghana. The sector now functions as a vital social safety-net and, in some cases, provides the only source of of income in employment-constrained economies and helping copious poor households survive during increasingly uncertain times. However, artisanal mining is linked to the release of heavy metals into the mainstream environment, causing water pollution. In this study, heavy metals namely mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and iron (Fe) were quantitatively analysed using PinAcle 900T Perkin Elmer Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The samples were taken from the core water source area of Domenase and Nkontomisa on the Offin River in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central region of Ghana. The decreasing trend of metals was observed in water as Hg > Pb > As > Mn >Fe, while the average distribution of these heavy metals in water was 0.11, 0.02, 0.02, 0.122, and 0.184 mg/L, respectively. Nkotumso. In Domenase, the decreasing trend of metals was observed in water as Pb > Hg > As > Fe >Mn. and their averages were 0.028, 0.09, 0.018, 0,188, and 0.090 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of Hg, As, and Pb in the water samples were above the WHO (2011) permissible limits, except Mn and Fe, which were below the guideline limit. The pH range of 6.24-6.53 was noted for Nkotumso and 5.24-5.83 (strongly to moderately acidic) for Domenase. The pH of water samples collected from Nkotumso was within WHO (2011) guideline values, whereas the values of Domenase were not. The results indicate that the water is not suitable for drinking or other domestic purposes, such as cooking, since Heavy metals such as Hg, As, and Pb, which are known to be carcinogenic, were high. The study recommends that continuous monitoring of Hg, As and Pb in the water and other aquatic biota of Nkotumso and Domenase along the River Offin should be assessed to ensure the safety of the ecology in the vicinity of the river.

Source: UG
Gold mining in Ghana

Ghana is a major player in the gold mining industry globally and in Africa in particular. The country is ranked 11th in the global league of gold producers and the second, only after South Africa, in Africa. Ghana's gold bearing rocks are confined to five parallel bands of metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks locally called gold belts. The most dominant of these belts is the Ashanti belt, which accounts for nearly 80% of the gold mines and 90% of total annual gold output. Four main kinds of gold deposits exist in these gold-bearing corridors. These are placer or alluvial deposit, which occurs along stream courses draining these corridors, and quartz reef (free milling); extracted mainly by gravity concentration; sulphide ores and the oxidised sulphide ore; both of which are extracted by heap-leach methods. Non-sulphidic paleoplacer (free milling) ore occurs mainly in the Banket conglomerates of the Tarkwaian Formation. The premier valued gold is associated with well sorted and packed hematite rich conglomerates that occur in the thinner beds. The oxidised ores, associated mainly with the Birimian rock formation, occur in the weathered rocks and are derived from sulphides, principally arsenopyrite,and pyrites and their primary derivatives are the sulphide ores etc. Two main types of mining operations exist- large scale and artisanal mining. The artisanal miners exploit mainly placer or alluvial gold. The chemistry of gold ores, type of mining and processing technologies employed, present considerable challenges to water resources management in these mining area. Almost all surface water bodies within the mining areas are polluted and aquatic life in most of them is extremely low or non existent. Significant number of streams and shallow wells has disappeared due to over abstraction of groundwater for gold processing and dewatering of mines. Acid mine drainage is also a major concern. Though groundwater contamination is not a major concern in the mining areas due to impoverishment of the rocks of heavy metals, isolated cases of high arsenic, mercury, iron, manganese and aluminium concentrations in groundwater are of major concern for drinking water supply. Gold mining has also resulted in severe land degradation and major environmental concerns. © 2009 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Gold mining in Ghana's forest reserves: A report on the current debate

This paper examines the debate surrounding a recent decision made by the Ghanaian government to permit gold exploration - and potentially, mining - in 'protected' forest reserves. In 2001, four mining companies were awarded mineral exploration concessions in forested regions of the country, and have since put forward applications to mine for gold. Notwithstanding the sharp divide in opinion on the issue, the continued uncertainty surrounding the implications of the proposed activities makes further research on the ground imperative in the short term. Work aiming to elicit indigenous perspectives on the projects, as well as research that facilitates dialogue between and/or among stakeholder parties, should be prioritized. © The Authors. Journal compilation © Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers) 2006.

Source: UG
Gold Mining Pollution and the Cost of Private Healthcare: The Case of Ghana

To attract greater levels of foreign direct investment into their gold-mining sectors, many mineral-rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been willing to overlook serious instances of mining company non-compliance with environmental standards. These lapses in regulatory oversight and enforcement have led to high levels of pollution in many mining communities. The likelihood is high that the risk of pollution-related sicknesses will necessitate increasingly high healthcare expenditures in affected communities. In this study, we propose and estimate a hedonic-type model that relates healthcare expenditure to the degree of residents' exposure to mining pollution using data obtained on gold mining in Ghana. This has been confirmed by our empirical results,with an elasticity coefficient of 0.12. Furthermore, while healthcare expenditure does not vary between males and females, younger household heads spend more on their health than their older counterparts after controlling for health status, income and access to health insurance.

Source: UG
Good Clinical Laboratory Practices Improved Proficiency Testing Performance at Clinical Trials Centers in Ghana and Burkina Faso

The Department of Immunology conducts research in the field of immunology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The Department has the overall goal of contributing knowledge to better diagnosis, management, control and prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ghana and worldwide. This is consistent with the overall strategy of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and in line with the strategy of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana.

Source: UG
Good clinical laboratory practices improved proficiency testing performance at clinical trials centers in Ghana and burkina faso.

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Good for Elections but not for Government: Zongos and the Politics of Exclusion in Ghana

Zongo communities – comprising migrants from the northern savannah of Ghana and neighbouring Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Northern Nigeria – are keenly involved in Ghanaian politics, especially leading up to national elections. Representing an important constituency, zongo residents expect their fair share of representation in government to compensate their diverse contributions to political activities. This article examines this expectation and how zongo residents perceive government policies and actions – including the creation of the Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development – seeking to address their feelings of disengagement. Primary data were gathered during 2018 through a survey, focus group discussions and interviews and analysed from a social exclusion theory perspective. Most participants reported that there was no representation of the zongos at national or local government level. Further, the findings seemed to affirm that zongo residents are only politically important before and during elections. Participants in our study branded government interventions aimed at including zongo communities as merely cosmetic and tricking zongo residents into believing that government cares for them.

Source: UG
Gossypol Is A Natural Product With Good Antimalarial Activity Against Plasmodium Falciparum Clinical Isolates.

Gossypol has demonstrated significant antimalarial activity against chloroquine-resistant and susceptible Plasmodium falciparum parasites. However, data on its potency in clinical isolates of P. falciparum remains limited. This study aimed to assess the potency of gossypol against six laboratory strains and twenty-one clinical isolates of P. falciparum using optimized growth inhibition assays. Additionally, parasites with reduced susceptibility to gossypol were selected using the P. falciparum Dd2 background (Dd2_3.5 µM) and tested for cross-resistance to chloroquine, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), and three Malaria box compounds (MMV006087, MMV085203, and MMV008956). On average, gossypol was found to be twice as potent against the laboratory strains compared to the clinical isolates, with IC₅₀ values of 6.490 µM and 11.670 µM, respectively. Notably, Dd2_3.5 µM parasites displayed increased sensitivity after three months of exposure but developed decreased susceptibility after six months. Importantly, these gossypol-tolerant parasites showed no cross-resistance to chloroquine, DHA, or the three Malaria box compounds. These findings suggest that gossypol is effective against P. falciparum and holds potential as part of combination therapy with existing antimalarials. Furthermore, these results may support the identification of new antimalarial agents that are effective against drug-resistant malaria parasites.

Source: UG
Governance and effectiveness of public–private partnership in Ghana’s rural-water sector

Purpose: This study examined the governance and implementation of public-private partnership (PPP) based on the management contract model in the water sector in rural Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: It employed in-depth interviews with key management officials and focus-group discussions among residents in selected water-stressed communities in the beneficiary District Assemblies. Thematic analysis was employed for the analyses. Findings – The governance of the PPP project was characterized by a well-structured institutional arrangement and effective governance mechanisms. The PPP project has increased residents’ access to potable and affordable water and facilitated local economic and social development in its catchment areas. However, insufficient funding, political interference, limited infrastructural capacity and pollution are threatening its success. Originality/value – The study contributes to the literature on effective governance and performance of rural-based PPP water supply projects for the achievement of Sustainable sustainable Goal 6 on access to affordable and quality water.

Source: UG
Governance Crisis or Attitudinal Challenges: Collection, Storage and Transportation of Solid Waste in Ghana

Waste is a continually growing problem at global, regional and local levels and one of the most intractable problems for local authorities in urban centers. With continuous economic development and an increase in living standards, the demand for goods and services is increasing quickly, resulting in a commensurate increase in per capita waste generation. In most developing countries, the problem is compounded by rapid urbanization, the introduction of environmentally unfriendly materials, changing consumer consumption patterns, lack of political commitment, insufficient budgetary allocations and ill motivated (undedicated) workforce. The study examines how Accra, Tema and Kumasi, the most urbanized centers in Ghana, are grappling with SWM challenges in the wake of the glaring need to improve urban waste collection systems. It contributes to the menu from which practitioners can identify appropriate, cost effective and sustainable strategies for efficient solid waste collection, handling and disposal systems. Ultimately, the lessons learned from these experiences are useful not only for future policy formulation and implementation but more importantly, for other cities that are experimenting with private sector participation

Source: UG
The governance of energy transitions in Africa: a sketch of plural perspectives

Building on the contributions to the article collection “The Governance of Sustainable Energy Transitions in the Global South “, this editorial offers a sketch for a research agenda on transitions research with a main focus on Africa. Still being ill-defined in its concrete contours, this research agenda engages with the central themes of heterogeneity, politics, and the material basis of energy transitions. In this editorial, we address both procedural and content-related questions. Regarding procedural questions, we inform about the context in which this collection emerged. On that, a workshop held in Accra in September 2019 was a key milestone. We contextualize the challenges that some workshop participants had with developing their contributions into publishable articles in the context of uneven academic support structures and knowledge hegemonies. Finally, we introduce the contributions to our article collection, emphasising how they connect and contribute to our draft research agenda. With regard to the content dimension, this article collection builds and proclaims the need for plural approaches to understanding energy transitions in Africa. A plurality of specific context conditions calls for pluralistic analytical perspectives. Not taking for granted hegemonic, western ways of understanding energy systems and explaining change, we rather depart from engagements with the diversity of changes that aggregate into transition pathways—a diversity that in the context of Africa is impossible to overlook. To implement such a pluralistic research agenda, scholars need more opportunities to network, exchange and publish.

Source: UG
Governing extractive industries: Politics, histories, ideas

Proposals for more effective natural resource governance emphasize the importance of institutions and governance, but say less about the political conditions under which institutional change occurs. This book synthesizes findings regarding the political drivers of institutional change in extractive industry governance. The authors analyse resource governance from the late nineteenth century to the present in Bolivia, Ghana, Peru, and Zambia. They focus on the ways in which resource governance and national political settlements interact. Special attention is paid to the nature of elite politics, the emergence of new political actors, forms of political contention, changing ideas regarding natural resources and development, the geography of natural resource deposits, and the influence of the transnational political economy of global commodity production. National elites and subnational actors are in continuous contention over extractive industry governance. Resource rents are used by elites to manage this contention and incorporate actors into governing coalitions and overall political settlements. Periodically, new resource frontiers are opened, and new political actors emerge with the power to redefine how extractive industries are governed and used as instruments for development. Colonial and post-colonial histories of resource extraction continue to give political valence to ideas of resource nationalism that mobilize actors who challenge existing institutional arrangements. The book is innovative in its focus on the political longue durée, and the use of in-depth, comparative, country-level analysis in Africa and Latin America, to build a theoretical argument that accounts for both similarity and divergence between these regions. © Anthony Bebbington, Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai, Denise Humphreys Bebbington, Marja Hinfelaar, and Cynthia A. Sanborn 2018. All rights reserved.

Source: UG