Premium
Gold mining in Ghana's forest reserves: a report on the current debate
Author(s) -
Hilson Gavin,
Nyame Frank
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
area
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1475-4762
pISSN - 0004-0894
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4762.2006.00670.x
Subject(s) - gold mining , work (physics) , indigenous , stakeholder , government (linguistics) , mineral exploration , gold rush , political science , environmental planning , business , environmental resource management , mining engineering , geography , public relations , engineering , environmental science , geology , archaeology , mechanical engineering , ecology , linguistics , chemistry , philosophy , geochemistry , biology
This paper examines the debate surrounding a recent decision made by the Ghanaian government to permit gold exploration – and potentially, mining – in ‘protected’ forest reserves. In 2001, four mining companies were awarded mineral exploration concessions in forested regions of the country, and have since put forward applications to mine for gold. Notwithstanding the sharp divide in opinion on the issue, the continued uncertainty surrounding the implications of the proposed activities makes further research on the ground imperative in the short term. Work aiming to elicit indigenous perspectives on the projects, as well as research that facilitates dialogue between and/or among stakeholder parties, should be prioritized.