Governance Challenges in artisinal and small scale mining in West Africa
Aims and Objectives
The research project aims to analyse the extent to which regional governance initiatives can address the challenges of the ASM sector as means of promoting human security and environmental sustainability in the ASM sector in West Africa. Although it is clear that the combined lack of state capacity and political will stifles the economic potential of the ASM sector, a more sophisticated understanding of the relationship between regional governance and the promotion of human security and environmental sustainability is needed. If regulated properly, inclusively (with the input of civil society and industry), and on a regional basis (to avoid shifting similar problems to neighbouring countries), we expect that the ASM sector could improve employment levels in rural areas and augment the non-farm incomes of many rural households. This is an important first step toward lifting many rural communities out of poverty. To this end, we have identified four leading regional governance initiatives on mining: Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Compendium on Best Practices in Small-Scale Mining in Africa, the Kimberley Process (KP), and the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI). We will measure the impact of these four regional governance initiatives on the ASM gold and diamond sectors in two Commonwealth countries, Ghana and Sierra Leone. We expect that our findings will contribute to the scholarly and policy-oriented literature on improving governance, human security, and environmental sustainability in ASM and provide guidance for national and regional governance of the ASM sector in not only West Africa but other parts of Africa and the global South.
