Depending on the mineral excavated, artisanal mining is associated with a myriad of negative environmental impacts, such as: noise and dust pollution erosion and diversion of rivers deforestation abandoned open (unfilled) mining pits that degrade agricultural land and are a fall risk for humans and animals, and when filled with standing water, a breeding ground for malarial mosquitoes mercury, cyanide, mineral mine waste, and silt pollution of water sources and problems stemming from underground excavation, such as ground and building collapse and degradation due to the use of explosives (Bakia 2014 Keita 2001 Kitula 2006 Yelpaala and Ali 2005).ДЄ number of development interventions have sought to improve livelihoods and benefits in diamond mining communities.

2003 Maconachie and Binns 2007 Yelpaala and Ali 2005). Local challenges include concerns about environmental degradation, crime, drug use, prostitution, and conflict with the host community (Aryee et al. Despite the potential livelihood benefits, the ASM sector presents local and national challenges for countries with these natural resources. We also conclude that the de-regulation of GCD may lead to a relatively reduced environmental burden in Akwatia and more revenue for the GCD to invest in the human development needs of communities in the town. GCD is an ailing mining company in Ghana, in desperate need of an injection of capital to keep the mine alive, but botched bidding has slowed the process of de-regulating the company. We conclude that while an increase in artisanal diamond mining has been a means of employement and income-generation for small-scale miners, there are some human development challenges, related to environmental burden from land degradation and health.

This paper examines large and small-scale mining in Ghana's largest diamond mining town, Akwatia, and their relative impact on environmental degradation, health, and the livelihood of artisanal miners. Unlike other West African countries such as Sierra Leonne and Liberia, small-scale diamond mining in Ghana has not been linked to conflict but its role in development has also been relatively modest. While much research has been conducted on gold mining in Ghana, there is relatively little research on the environmental and human development consequences of diamond mining in the country. While large-scale gold mining has seen a significant increase, artisanal gold and diamond mining product have grown exponentially. Between 19, the mining industry brought approximately US $4 billion in foreign direct investment to Ghana. Ghana is the second largest producer of gold in sub-Saharan Africa, and has experienced a significant increase in national mining production over the last two decades.

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