Assessing the environmental effects of illegal mining activities on the health of individuals in mining communities in Ghana: a case study of Aboso, Samahu and Tarkwa

Abstract

Illegal mining activities have gained widespread recognition worldwide. It employs thousands of people in Ghana and has a direct impact on the livelihoods of numerous households located within the communities where they operate. The study places a strong emphasis on illegal mining activities and their associated effects on the health of individuals and the environment in selected mining communities. The study focused on three mining communities. A total of 147 respondents were contacted for pertinent information, with the primary research instruments being questionnaires and in-depth interviews conducted with members of mining communities and other stakeholders. Illegal mining activities deplete environmental resources such as water and vegetation and increase the risk of complex health problems, according to the study's findings. The paper concluded that major streams in the communities have been heavily polluted by illegal mining activities, that land has been stripped bare and rendered unusable for agricultural purposes, and that dust laced with toxic chemicals is being released into the open air, resulting in complicated health issues. Based on the foregoing, the paper recommended the following: effective community participation in environmental decision making to ensure sustainable mining activities; restructuring the registration process for illegal miners to make it easier for more to obtain licenses, developing environmental protection campaigns against illegal mining, and enforcing the Minamata Convention on mercury imports into Ghana