Nexus between Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining and Livelihood in Prestea Mining Region, Ghana
Table 6
Vulnerability of ASM activities to assets and the community.
Critical asset affected by ASM
Vulnerability induced by ASM in mining communities
Land
(i) Destruction of farmlands/arable lands which results in food insecurity/low agricultural produce. (ii) Creating of uncovered pits which serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes to cause malaria. (iii) Destruction of fertile lands, biodiversity, and the natural forest.
Water bodies
(i) Destruction of fishing grounds which serve as livelihood source. (ii) Destruction of community’s sources of water. (iii) Contamination of water bodies with chemicals such as mercury and cyanide leading to water-borne diseases such as skin rashes, diarrhoea, and cholera.
Human
(i) Diseases and injuries, accidents, and death as a result of workers’ or miners’ exposure to ASM related hazards. (ii) Destruction of miners’ livelihood source and/or income through injuries and accidents which further renders them poor. (iii) Destruction of farmers’ livelihood income via destruction of farmlands and arable lands.
