Title: Illegal Mining (Galamsey) and Water Degradation in Ghana’s Western North Region
Author/Institution: S. Donkoh – Master’s Thesis, University of Iceland
Publication Year: 2025
Environmental Decline and the Everyday Politics of Survival
S. Donkoh’s master’s thesis investigates the environmental and social consequences of galamsey—the term used locally for illegal small- scale gold mining—in Ghana’s Western North Region. Framed within the political-ecology tradition, the study reveals how the rapid spread of informal mining has devastated river systems, eroded farmland, and altered community livelihoods. Drawing on water-quality testing, satellite imagery, and ethnographic interviews, Donkoh documents the contamination of the Tano and Bia river basins with mercury and suspended solids at levels exceeding national standards. These findings underscore how galamsey is not only an environmental issue, but a livelihood strategy rooted in inequality, rural unemployment, and state absence.
Methodology and Local Knowledge
The thesis employs a mixed-methods approach that blends hydro-chemical analysis with household surveys and focus-group discussions. Donkoh gives voice to farmers, miners, and local officials, revealing divergent perceptions of responsibility and justice. For many small-scale miners, galamsey represents a response to exclusion from formal mining licenses and rural poverty; for local residents, it is a daily struggle for clean water and health. This intersection of survival and degradation demonstrates the limits of enforcement-only approaches and the need for participatory governance.
Implications for Policy and Sustainable Resource Management
Donkoh concludes that curbing environmental decline in Ghana’s gold belts requires addressing the structural drivers of informality—especially access to capital, land rights, and education. He advocates for integrated watershed management, alternative livelihoods, and community-based monitoring as sustainable pathways. The thesis contributes to broader debates on the social license to operate and resource justice in Africa, illustrating how environmental stewardship and social inclusion must move in tandem if Ghana is to reconcile development with ecological integrity.