Open Pit Mining and Land Use Changes: An Example from Bogosu-Prestea Area, South West Ghana

Abstract

The Bogoso-Prestea area has experienced mining for over a century and with advances in mineral processing and the promulgation of a new Mining and Mineral Law in 1986, surface mining became viable. High demand for gold will lead to increase in mining activities which will result in land use changes. Estimation of areas and analysis of land use flows methods were employed over a twenty year period (1986 – 2006) to evaluate areas within the Golden Star Resources Bogoso Prestea Limited (GSRBPL) concession that have experienced land use change due to mining. The study revealed that mining in the area increased by 12.1 % in land coverage from 4.69 ha in 1986 to 530.84 ha in 2006. Agricultural land use reduced from 97.8% in 1986 to 82.7% in 2006. A significant rural – urban migration was acknowledged because settlements increased from 0.45 % in 1986 to 4.95 % in 2006. The study also revealed that land use due to mining stabilised between 1996 and 2006 due to good reclamation practices and reduced mine development.