Abstract:
Illegal small-scale gold mining (galamsey) presents persistent socio-economic
and environmental challenges in Ghana, primarily driven by underlying economic
vulnerabilities. This study adopts a concurrent mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative surveys (n=50) with qualitative semi-structured interviews (n=80)
in Kortwia-Abodom and Damang. Quantitative indicators demonstrate a significant
financial pull mechanism, characterized by an aggregated median income of GHS
7200, which significantly outperforms regional agricultural baselines. High formal
illiteracy rates (72%) restrict labor mobility, anchoring many in the informal mining
sector. Concurrently, qualitative thematic analysis reveals that localized sociocultural
and superstitious frameworks work to normalize occupational hazards, mitigating
perceived ecological and physiological risks. Triangulated empirical data reveal severe
riverine degradation, validating participant narratives through documented surface
water Total Suspended Solids (TSS) proxies. Our findings indicate that centralized, militarized, top-down enforcement strategies fail because they disregard localized vulnerability contexts. Consequently, we propose decentralized, district-level mobile licensing
and community-led ecological reclamation cooperatives as sustainable, structural
policy alternatives.
