ENCROACHMENT AND DEGRADATION OF FARMLANDS BY SMALL-SCALE MINING IN THE NAB1)AM DISTRICT IN THE UPPER EAST REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

The study sought to establish how mining activities encroach and degrade farmlands in the Nabdam District. It also sought to find out the best mining practices put in place to ensure the sustainability of the small-scale mining in the district. The research design employed in this study was the quantitative research design. Six of the mining communities with a sample size of 300 were used for the study. The methods used to collect data were interviews, observation, questionnaires administration and focus group discussions. The findings of the study indicate that small scale mining is a major source of livelihood for people in the district. The study also showed that despite the importance of small-scale mining, it was unregulated and uncoordinated, thus leading to serious land encroachment and degradation. People, including the youth of school going age, move from one parcel of land to another where they perceived there is gold to mine thereby encroaching and degrading valuable farmlands in these communities. The findings of the study further revealed that the mining communities viewed the activities of illegal small-scale mining, to a very large extent, as encroaching on farmlands. The study again revealed that activities of small-scale mining pose danger to such elements as land, flora and fauna, soil, water, agricultural activities, dams, rivers, air and hunger to the district. The study shows that a considerable number of farmers were aware of the existence of some coping strategies such as tie and dye batik, smocks weaving, guinea fowl rearing, rabbit rearing and mango plantation. District Assembly bye-laws needed to be enforced and regulatory bodies monitored the illegal gold miners in order to use approved methods in mining to safe guard the farmlands.