The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Somanya, Eastern Region, through its School of Sustainable Development, hosted its 11th International Virtual Seminar featuring Dr. Francis Arthur-Holmes, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom. The session, joined by faculty and students, explored the theme: “Rethinking State-Led Formalisation of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Ghana.”It shed light on the complexities of Ghana’s ASM sector and called for more inclusive, practical, and sustainable approaches to formalisation.
Dr. Arthur-Holmes highlighted that despite years of policy reform, approximately 85% of ASM operations in Ghana remain informal or illegal. The widespread informality is mainly due to costly licensing procedures, bureaucratic inefficiencies, access to mineralised lands, and a lack of recognition for local mining practices.
He also noted that a multifaceted web of factors drives people’s participation in illegal or informal mining operations, including poverty, livelihood diversification, and wealth creation. He further explained that the current regulatory framework has achieved limited success, as it often favours large-scale mining while neglecting the realities of small-scale operators.
To address the challenge, the Senior Research Fellow, proposed a multi-tier licensing system supported by mining training, logistical and financial assistance, and strong environmental and safety standards.
He stressed that the use of militarisation strategies to curb illegal ASM in Ghana is not a sustainable solution, as such approaches often lead to social tensions, human rights violations, and community mistrust, where miners and community residents lose confidence in the government’s ability to act in their best interest and support their means of livelihood.
Instead, he called for dialogue, mining education, and inclusive resource governance to address the root causes of ASM informality, rather than relying on security force-based interventions to stop illegal mining operations that cause environmental destruction.
In his concluding remarks, Dr Arthur-Holmes recommended the following: Integrate indigenous knowledge and environmental ethics into formalisation policy, provide flexible credit and collateral options for ASM operators, Support land reclamation, waste management, and geo-prospecting initiatives and foster collaboration among the state, large-scale miners, ASM operators, and traditional authorities to address illegal/informal mining operations in Ghana. These measures, he argued, are essential for creating an inclusive, safe, and environmentally responsible small-scale mining sector in Ghana.
The seminar formed part of UESD’s ongoing efforts to promote research-driven discussions and innovation on sustainable resource management, environmental protection, and community development in Ghana and beyond.