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An Integrated Approach to Assess the Environmental Impacts of Large-Scale Gold Mining: The Nzema-Gold Mines in the Ellembelle District of Ghana as a Case Study

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  • Dawuda Usman Kaku

    (School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China)

  • Yonghong Cao

    (School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
    State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China)

  • Yousef Ahmed Al-Masnay

    (School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China)

  • Jean Claude Nizeyimana

    (School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China)

Abstract

The mining industry is a significant asset to the development of countries. Ghana, Africa’s second-largest gold producer, has benefited from gold mining as the sector generates about 90% of the country’s total exports. Just like all industries, mining is associated with benefits and risks to indigenes and the host environment. Small-scale miners are mostly accused in Ghana of being environmentally disruptive, due to their modes of operations. As a result, this paper seeks to assess the environmental impacts of large-scale gold mining with the Nzema Mines in Ellembelle as a case study. The study employs a double-phase mixed-method approach—a case study approach, consisting of site visitation, key informant interviews, questionnaires, and literature reviews, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis method. The NDVI analysis shows that agricultural land reduced by −0.98%, while the bare area increases by 5.21% between the 2008 and 2015 periods. Our results show that forest reserves and bare area were reduced by −4.99% and −29%, respectively, while residential areas increased by 28.17% between 2015 and 2020. Vegetation, land, air, and water quality are highly threatened by large-scale mining in the area. Weak enforcement of mining policies, ineffective stakeholder institution collaborations, and limited community participation in decision-making processes were also noticed during the study. The authors conclude by giving recommendations to help enhance sustainable mining and ensure environmental sustainability in the district and beyond.

Suggested Citation

  • Dawuda Usman Kaku & Yonghong Cao & Yousef Ahmed Al-Masnay & Jean Claude Nizeyimana, 2021. "An Integrated Approach to Assess the Environmental Impacts of Large-Scale Gold Mining: The Nzema-Gold Mines in the Ellembelle District of Ghana as a Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:13:p:7044-:d:586727
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James Boafo & Sebastian Angzoorokuu Paalo & Senyo Dotsey, 2019. "Illicit Chinese Small-Scale Mining in Ghana: Beyond Institutional Weakness?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Jian Peng & Minli Zong & Yi'na Hu & Yanxu Liu & Jiansheng Wu, 2015. "Assessing Landscape Ecological Risk in a Mining City: A Case Study in Liaoyuan City, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-23, June.
    3. Prince T. Mabey & Wei Li & Abu J. Sundufu & Akhtar H. Lashari, 2020. "Environmental Impacts: Local Perspectives of Selected Mining Edge Communities in Sierra Leone," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-16, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chengye Zhang & Huiyu Zheng & Jun Li & Tingting Qin & Junting Guo & Menghao Du, 2022. "A Method for Identifying the Spatial Range of Mining Disturbance Based on Contribution Quantification and Significance Test," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-21, April.
    2. Emmanuel Bosompem Boadi & Shaojun Chen & Ebenezer Impriam Amponsah & Ruth Appiah, 2022. "Antecedents of Residential Satisfaction in Resettlement Housing in Ellembelle: A PLS-SEM Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Junting Guo & Quansheng Li & Huizhen Xie & Jun Li & Linwei Qiao & Chengye Zhang & Guozhu Yang & Fei Wang, 2022. "Monitoring of Vegetation Disturbance and Restoration at the Dumping Sites of the Baorixile Open-Pit Mine Based on the LandTrendr Algorithm," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-15, July.

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