The Challenges of Environmental Governance: The Case of Mining Activities in Ghana with Emphasis on the Obuasi District of Ghana

Abstract

Ghana is the first nation in Sub-Saharan Africa to attain independence from colonial rule in 1957. The country has numerous natural resources. Ghana is however plagued by poverty and under development. The mining industry is one of the challenging sectors the country is finding difficult to address. The rate of illegal and small scale mining is destroying Ghana's biodiversity. These problems can be address when there is in place functional institutional frameworks. This research will examine Ghana's mining industry against environmental governance frameworks such as co-management, stakeholder consultations, and collaborative environmental governance. This research employed case study approach and the analysis and evaluation of secondary data as well as face to face interview with some miners. At the end of this research, it was concluded that various stakeholders involved with mining in Ghana pursue their own interest to the detriment of the environment and the community in which the mines operate. With the empowerment of governmental institution and the local mining communities, Ghana can ripe a great benefit from its gold mines and also ensure the environment is not degraded to the detriment of future generations.