Mercury management in the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) Sector: Whither Ghana?

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) continues to make significant contributions to economies in sub-Saharan Africa by creating employment avenues and reducing poverty among rural populations. However, a major problem associated with the sector is its role in mercury emissions into the environment. Ghana, a burgeoning ASM country, has participated in several donor supported projects with the aim to reduce and where possible, eliminate mercury emissions but still the country ranks high on the mercury emission list. With an in-depth review of policy documents, complemented by key informant interviews, this paper interrogates why this is so by chronicling the Government of Ghana’s involvement in key donor funding projects and pinpoints what is lacking in its approach to minimising mercury emission through ASM operations. The paper reveals that the government’s steps to reducing mercury emissions at ASM sites can best be described as ‘snail-paced’ and cyclical in nature. It proposes a sharp focus on providing affordable mercury-free technologies and paying attention to geological characteristics of sites and other social factors that can boost the use of mercury at ASM sites.