Impacts of Organizational Dynamics in Artisanal gold mining on Community Livelihoods
Case of Nandi County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58216/kjri.v5i2.135Keywords:
Artisanal gold mining, Organizational dynamics, Informal and formalAbstract
Many studies on Artisanal Gold Mining have estimated that it employs an estimated 13 Million people worldwide, with another 80 to 100 million people directly or indirectly benefiting. In sub Saharan Africa it is viewed as an economic mainstay activity providing direct employment to over two million people. Artisanal gold mining uses rudimentary processes to extract valuable minerals from primary and secondary ore bodies, and is characterized by the lack of long-term mine planning. In Kenya, less is known on how different artisanal gold mining communities operate and it is organised. The artisanal gold mining has negative environmental effects and limited positive transformation on the livelihoods of the local communities involved in Nandi County. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impacts of artisanal gold mining organizational dynamics on community livelihoods. The study employed a descriptive research design and simple random sampling was used to select the respondents for interview. Primary data was obtained by use of questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group discussions guide, key informants guide, observations, and photography. Questionnaires were pretested before the actual field survey and the Information gathered during this pre-trial were used to modify the survey tools. Factor analysis upheld the construct validity of the instrument at 0.5 significance. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used in the analysis of data and the results were presented by use of frequency tables. The findings showed that Artisanal gold mining activities were disorderly in nature thereby preventing improved livelihoods and environmental conservation. In conclusion artisanal gold mining activities in Nandi County were informal and unorganized in nature. The study recommends Artisanal miners be encouraged and assisted by relevant government agencies to form cooperatives in order to have a collective voice in their undertaking such as advocating for government assistance on technology and equipment, marketing and training.
Downloads
References
Acheampong, E. (2004), Impact Assessment of Mining Activities by Ashanti Goldfields-Bibiani Limited on the Environment and Socio-Economic Development of Bibiani, Undergraduate Dissertation, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Amankwah, R. K., & Anim-Sackey, C. (2003). Strategies for sustainable development of the small-scale gold and diamond mining industry of Ghana; Resources Policy, 29(3), 131-138.
Amankwah, R.K., Anim-Sackey, C., 2003. Some developments in the small scale mining of precious minerals, Ghana Mining Journal 7: 38–45.
Banchirigah, S.M. (2008). Challenges with eradicating illegal mining in Ghana: A perspective from the grassroots. Resources Policy, 33, 29–38.
Bloch, R., & Owusu, G. (2012). Linkages in Ghana's gold mining industry: Challenging the enclave thesis. Resources Policy, 37(4), 434-442.
Carson, M., Cottrell, S., Dickman, J., Gummerson, E., Lee, T., Miao, Y., Teranishi, N., Tully, C., Uregian, C., (2005). Managing Mineral Resources Through Public–Private Partnerships: Mitigating Conflict in Ghanaian Gold Mining. Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton, NJ
Childs, J. (2008). Reforming small-scale mining in sub-Saharan Africa: Political and ideological challenges to a Fair Trade gold initiative. Resources Policy, 33(4), 203-209.
D’Souza, K. P. C. J. (2005). Artisanal and small-scale mining in Africa: the poor relation. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 250(1), 95-120.
Geenen, S. (2012). A dangerous bet: The challenges of formalizing artisanal mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Resources Policy, 37(3), 322-330.
Hilson, G., & Osei, L. (2014). Tackling youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa: Is there a role for artisanal and small-scale mining?. Futures, 62: 83-94.
Hruschka, F.( 2011) Rock-solid chances for responsible artisanal mining. ARM series on responsible mining. Nr. 3,. (www.communitymining.org)
Hruschka, F., C. Echavarria (2011) Rock Solid Chances for responsible artisanal mining. ARM Series on Responsible ASM No.3. Medellin. http://www.communitymining.org/attachments/059_RSC_FINAL_web_low.pdf
IIED (2002) Artisanal and small-scale mining, Chapter 13 in Breaking New Ground: Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development, International Institute for Environment and Development.
Kambani, S.M. (2001). Small scale mining and cleaner production issues in Zambia. Lusaka: University of Zambia.
Labonne, B. (2003) Seminar on Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in Africa: Identifying Best Practices and Building the Sustainable Livelihoods of Communities, in G. M. Hilson (ed.) The Socioeconomic Impacts of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in Developing Countries, pp. 131–50. Rotterdam: A. A. Balkema.
Lovitz, Sara B (2006). Scales of Responsible Gold Mining: Overcoming Barriers to Cleaner Artisanal Mining in Southern Ecuador. Vermont, University of Vermont http://www.uvm.edu/~shali/Ecuador-Gold.pdf
Maponga, O., & Ngorima, C. F. (2003). Overcoming environmental problems in the gold panning sector through legislation and education: the Zimbabwean experience. Journal of Cleaner Production, 11(2), 147-157.
Midende G.(2010). Les exploitations minieres artisanales du Burundi, L’Afrique des Grands Lacs, Annuaire 2009–2010, Le Groupe Harmattan, pp. 45–6
Republic of Kenya, Nandi district Development Plan 2002-2008.
Shen, L., & Gunson, A. J. (2006). The role of artisanal and small-scale mining in China's economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 14(3), 427-435.
Shoko, D. S. M. (2003) Small-scale mining and alluvial gold panning within the Zambezi Basin: an ecological time bomb and tinderbox for future conflicts among riparian states. 17p.
Teschner, B. (2013). How you start matters: A comparison of Gold Fields' Tarkwa and Damang Mines and their divergent relationships with local small-scale miners in Ghana. Resources Policy, 38(3), 332-340.
Tschakert, P., & Singha, K. (2007). Contaminated identities: Mercury and marginalization in Ghana’s artisanal mining sector. Geoforum, 38(6), 1304-1321.
