Illegal Chinese gold mining in Amansie West, Ghana - an assessement of its impact and implications

2014

Master thesis in development management - University of Agder 2014 The thesis’ objective is to assess the impact of Chinese illegal miners in the Amansie West District in Ghana. The illegal mining sector is seen as having several negative effects, environmentally as well as socially and economically. The influx of some 20-50 000 Chinese miners into Ghana is found to increase these impacts. The Chinese illegal miners operate largely on farmland, which is bought from locals for the sum equivalent of approximately 6.5 years of farming income. This leads to a loss of long-term income for the farmer as well as the degradation of large land areas, which in the case of Amansie West is here estimat…