Why is galamsey illegal?

Galamsey is illegal because operators involved work without regulatory approvals (from either the Ghana Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resources Commission, Forestry Commission or the host Municipal Assembly), pays no tax and statutory fees, operates in sensitive or prohibited areas (forest …

Is galamsey illegal?

Galamsey, derived from the phrase “gather them and sell”, is a local Ghanaian term which means illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana. Galamsey is also referred to as Illegal Artisanal Small Scale mining (ASM).

What is galamsey effect?

Galamsey activities expose Ghanaians through drinking and inhaling of gaseous mercury, which is absorbed into the blood. Once in the circulatory system, it can pass through the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the brain, damaging the central nervous system.

Is galamsey illegal in Ghana?

Ghana is recognised today as the second largest gold producer in Africa. Within the small-scale gold mining sector is “galamsey”, a local term used in Ghana for illegal or unregulated gold mining operations.

What are the effects of galamsey on water bodies?

The immediate consequences of galamsey include pollution and stagnation of water in the cities and obstruction in the natural courses of water bodies that may result in flooding during raining season.

How is galamsey done?

“Galamsey” is done on a small scale and without a license. Young men are arrested, and their tools are destroyed. Miners dump waste into the water sources. There is no recovery of the exploited land.

How does galamsey affect soil?

Galamsey activities are reported to release a significant quantity of mercury to the air, causing severe damage to soils, water and wildlife near the operating sites, and results in heavy mercury exposures to the miners and their families (Amegbey and Eshun, 2003; Aryee et al., 2003).

What makes mining illegal?

ILLEGAL MINING, OR ILLEGAL QUARRYING ACTIVITY GENERALLY OPERATED BY PEOPLE USING SIMPLE EQUIPMENT, WITHOUT LICENSE, WITHOUT OBSERVING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SAFETY, INVOLVING INVESTORS AND TRADERS. IN SOME CASES, MAY BE OPERATED BY CORPORATIONS.

What are the bad effects of mining?

Across the world, mining contributes to erosion, sinkholes, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, significant use of water resources, dammed rivers and ponded waters, wastewater disposal issues, acid mine drainage and contamination of soil, ground and surface water, all of which can lead to health issues in local …

How does galamsey cause flooding?

Some residents who spoke to GhanaWeb attributed the cause of the flood to recent galamsey activities in the area. “This flood is caused by the illegal mining (alluvial mining) some people are doing at the back of Nkroful Agricultural Senior High School and Nkroful township…

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