GOLD FEVER

They wonder much to hear that gold, which in itself is so useless a thing, should be everywhere so much esteemed, that even men for whom it was made, and by whom it has its value, should yet be thought of less value than it is.

Sir Thomas Moore, Utopia (1516)

Ghana has a rich history in gold. Its traditions in mining and trading the precious metal are woven into the cultural, political and economic fabric of Ghanaian society. Indeed, one could say that the country was and is quite literally built on it.

Formerly called the "Gold Coast" under British colonial rule, gold has formed the backbone of the economy for the better part of a century. Today, the precious metal still makes up over 80% of mineral export earnings and contributes nearly 40% to the country's GDP. The consequence of this is that Ghana is particularly sensitive to movements in gold's price and the repercussions run far deeper than mere fluctuations in portfolios or changes in the price of a necklace.

Ghana’s relationship with gold is complex and paradoxical. On the one hand, the industry is crucial to the health of the country’s formal economy. But on the other, production of the precious metal has had devastating long-term effects on the environment. This in turn has both direct and indirect adverse socio-economic repercussions, especially since an estimated 70%-80% of the population rely on the land for their livelihoods in one form or another.

As such, Ghana’s health and success as a country and as a population is inextricably linked to its environment. So, the relentless pursuit of gold, while profitable in the short-term, is ultimately destroying the things that are most precious to Ghana. As long as the price of gold remains at the mercy of the emotional whims of the international investment community, the situation will remain unstable. Nevertheless, it is important that the Ghanaian government try to implement measures that limit the damage and ensure that those who are reaping the rewards are also sharing their spoils.

Update 2021: The destruction of the environment and in particular the damaged caused by deforestation and polluting of waterways by galamsey (illegal mining) operations has continued unabated til today and is indeed at crisis levels. Systemic failure at all levels to protect the environment and clamp down of the serious issues of galamsey, mean that Ghana is staring down the barrel of serious environmental disaster as the region is also increasingly susceptible to impacts of climate change.

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Each pit has an overseer or manager who watches over the workers, usually from an elevated position, to ensure no one steals or stops working for too long.
On the outskirts of Kyebi dubbed ‘the headquarters of galamsey’, every direction you turn one can see another galamsey operation or evidence of it. Swarms of workers toil away under the oppressive heat and dangerous conditions. One swings his pick ax
A young miner emerges from a pit covered in mud. His job is to carry buckets of placer deposit (which contains the gold ore) from the sifting machine out of the pit to be washed and mixed with mercury to extract the gold.
Devastation left by an illegal mining operation. A special task force has been set up by the government to tackle the galamsey, which they claim has led to the deportation of most foreign illegal miners, but the sheer scale of the operations and sys
Young miners take a break from the unrelenting African sun.
‘It’s hard, dangerous work and I know that I can get hurt or sick but it pays well and there are no other jobs for someone like me’ Kojo.
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is legal in Ghana but only for Ghanaians and only for those who hold a license. The process by which one can obtain one though is often deemed too lengthy, bureaucratic and costly for the average Ghanaian, so m
Long after the machines leave, the land still bears the scars. The abandoned pits not only pose a physical hazard, they contain toxic chemicals which leach into the soil and the stagnant water provides the perfect breeding ground for mosquitos, incre
The River Birim runs through the Akyem Abuakwa state in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It is one of the main tributaries of the great River Pra and is the lifeblood of the region. Mining operations which use cyanide and mercury to wash the rocks in the
Old open-cast mining pit in process of being filled and reclaimed. In May 2014 AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) announced that it will be halting production at its Obuasi deep rock mining site and will be retrenching 5000+ workers. The repercussions of this
Ashanti traditional council member, Kumasi ‘The Ashantis have a special attachment to gold. It is part of their culture and history, it is part of the Ashantis themselves. Every family used to own some gold and it was the gold not the money that sig
The Ashantis of the Akan people of Ghana and their culture are synonymous with gold in Ghana. Before contact with Europeans they operated an advanced economy based principally on gold, which they traded with neighbouring African countries. The most
An open-cast mine pit on the AngloGold Ashanti owned Iduapriem Mine site situated 10km south of Tarkwa. The open-pit surface mines in Tarkwa exploit narrow, tabular auriferous conglomerates, similar to those mined in the Witwatersrand Basin of Sout
Hon. Joseph Abban-Mensah, Presiding Member (Chairman) of the Municipal Assembly of Tarkwa-Nsuaem. One of the duties of the Municipal Assembly is as a liaison between the large-scale mining companies and the community ‘In my opinion it is now the ga
Pra River is the easternmost and the largest of the three principal rivers that drain the area south of the Volta divide. It used to be considered the purest water source in the region, abundant with life and a rich source of food for both humans an
One of the pits at Tarkwa mine cuts into the landscape.Surface mining is a less expensive method than deep rock mining, but also far more destructive to the environment.
Children sell plantain and yam around a small community in Tarkwa. The overwhelming majority of the population of Ghana rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods and so continued destruction of the environment threatens the futures of all th
Galamsey operation in Efuanta, Tarkwa. Many galamsey operations actually take place on the rivers themselves. Miners stand on floating platforms and use a motorised drill and water pump secured on the end of a long pole which is struck into the rive
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Galamsey community in Efuanta, Tarwka. Most galamsey workers are from very poor backgrounds and have had little access to education. Although the money they receive is minimal, it is better than the average income and so a choice is made to engage in
There is no panacea for the monumental damage already inflicted on Ghana's environment or it's people. However changes can be made to halt to further destruction from this naturally fertile and beautiful land, but that requires serious a commitment f
When financial markets went into free fall in 2008, the price of gold began a four year meteoric rise to record highs as investors flowed out of riskier assets and poured into the ‘safe haven’ of gold, a phenomenon known as ‘flight to quality’. This
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