Professor Fred Dzanku, a renowned development economist and a leading researcher at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), has provided a sobering analysis of the galamsey crisis, arguing that the rise of illegal small-scale mining is a direct consequence of decades of systemic state neglect.
According to Prof. Dzanku, during a recent field visit to mining communities in the Western Region, he observed that while galamsey is often viewed solely through an environmental lens, it is primarily a “mirror reflecting deeper failures in development, governance, and opportunity.”
His findings suggest that the vacuum left by the state in rural areas has been filled by informal, often destructive, economic activities that residents now rely on for their very survival.
The researcher’s investigation highlights a complex paradox: while the environmental toll is undeniably catastrophic, galamsey has simultaneously birthed vibrant local economies in regions otherwise forgotten by central governance.
“Galamsey is not merely an environmental crisis. It is a mirror reflecting deeper failures in development, governance, and opportunity. Every community we visited described decades of state neglect: impassable roads, no potable water, weak schools and clinics, youth unemployment, and stagnant agriculture.”
Professor Fred Dzanku
In these “extractive enclaves,” a bustling network of factor markets, transport services, and food vendors has emerged, creating a lifeline for thousands of families.
Residents told the research team that the proceeds from these illegal operations are what finance their children’s education and fund modest community projects tasks traditionally expected of the state.
Consequently, the “visible economic transformation” seen in these individuals is often at odds with the “overwhelming environmental devastation” that has turned once-pristine rivers into toxic streams and scarred productive farmlands.
Socio-Economic Vacuum and State Absence
This structural failure of the state has forced a choice between starvation and ecological suicide.
Prof. Dzanku notes that the miners are far from ignorant of the destruction they cause; many are “deeply troubled” by the poisoning of their own water sources.
However, in a system where the state has “disappeared,” informal economies become the only viable alternative.
This disappearance is evidenced by the “impassable roads” and “weak schools” that characterize these mineral-rich but infrastructure-poor districts.
When the government fails to provide the basic pillars of a modern economy such as reliable health clinics and gainful employment the youth are driven into the pits as a desperate means of “survival in a system that has failed them.”
The impact on the state is profound and multidimensional. Beyond the immediate loss of tax revenue and the degradation of forest reserves, the galamsey menace threatens the very foundation of Ghana’s national security and public health.
The contamination of major water bodies like the Pra and Ankobra rivers with heavy metals such as mercury and cyanide poses a long-term health crisis that could cost the state billions in future healthcare expenditures.
Why the State Must Pivot Toward Holistic Development
The state must address this crisis not just through military force or “task forces” which have “largely proven ineffective,” but through a restorative developmental approach.
For years, the focus has been on the “bad” and the “ugly” of mining, yet the “good” (the economic linkages) must be formalised to replace the illegality.
The government’s historical approach has been reactive, focusing on the “menace” rather than the “motive.”
Addressing galamsey requires a “structural” fix for a “structural” problem. This involves decentralizing the licensing process and ensuring that “local authorities and residents” are not excluded from the concession process. If the state remains a distant entity that only appears to seize equipment, it reinforces the perception of galamsey as a legitimate form of grassroots rebellion against neglect.
To secure the environment, the state must first secure the livelihoods of its people by offering a “formalization and regulation” framework that balances economic survival with ecological sustainability.
Ultimately, the fight against galamsey is a fight for the return of the state to the rural frontline. The “unspoken” truth is that the miners are often the most significant “service providers” in their communities, albeit through a destructive medium.
To break this cycle, the state must reassert its role by investing in “youth employment” and “rural infrastructure” to make galamsey a choice rather than a necessity.
