Galamsey: The Wicked Problem
Kenneth Bansah, PhD, PE
Over many years, governments across the globe have deployed strategies such as regulatory enactments and military actions to eradicate informal mining – termed galamsey in Ghana. The interventions have unsuccessfully addressed the informal mining problem, and there is presently a rapid rise in the mining activity. This rise in informal mining is engendering an increasingly debilitating risk for the environment and human health. In this presentation, galamsey is framed as a wicked problem, requiring a rigorous and comprehensive policy framework that considers the nuances of the drivers and motivations and their implications for sustainable development. Empirical data from Ghana’s informal mining sector form the basis of the argument and elucidate the inconceivable complexities of galamsey. The presentation offers an interesting beginning for a multidimensional conversation about an age-old mining practice deeply embedded in the social fabric of our society.
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