Poverty traps in small-scale mining communities: The case of sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This article critically reflects on why, in many rural stretches of sub-Saharan Africa, scores of people engage in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) activity - lowtech, labour-intensive mineral extraction - for lengthy periods of time. It argues that a large share of the region's ASM operators have mounting debts which prevent them from pursuing alternative, less arduous, employment. The article concludes with an analysis of findings from research carried out by the author in Talensi-Nabdam District, Northern Ghana, which captures the essence of the poverty trap now plaguing so many ASM communities in sub-Saharan Africa. © 2012 Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID).