Rethinking state-led formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM): Towards mining licence categorisation, women empowerment and environmental sustainability

Securing a mining licence or permit is seen as the gateway for conducting artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations. Yet, the policy and the academic discourse on the environmental impacts of ASM and formalisation policies inadequately capture the diverse perspectives of institutional and local stakeholders regarding the regulatory and legal framework for the heterogeneous nature of ASM operations. This paper, therefore, addresses this gap by providing critical, empirical evidence and interpretations of institutional and local stakeholders’ perspectives of Ghana’s state-led ASM formalisation framework and its impacts on mining licence acquisition. Drawing on findings from multiple qualitative studies in Ghana, we found that the one ‘small-scale’ mining licence regime was problematic and took no account of the diverse environmental impacts, the safety concerns, and the uneven economic returns from the various mining methods (alluvial, underground, and surface/open-pit mining) employed for ASM operations. The findings also showed that the one-size-fits-all mining licence hinders a) the development of appropriate environmental regulations and mine waste management practices for the various local ASM operations, b) the designing of context-specific land reclamation approaches, c) the provision of logistics, training, and technical assistance to address the divergent environmental impacts, and d) the economic empowerment of women who seek to have economic visibility in the sector. The findings further demonstrated that the current ASM formalisation framework needs to be reformed through categorisation of the mining licence to reflect the dimensions of ASM operations, such as the multi-tier licence classification we propose – underground ‘ghetto’ licence, alluvial licence, surface/open-pit licence, medium-scale licence, and co-existence/partnership licence. This classification could help the country’s minerals regulatory body, the Minerals Commission, provide specific guidelines for mining operations, environmental management practices, and occupational health and safety protocols/practices for miners in the sector.