2012 GHANA GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION (GGA) ANDGHANA GEOGRAPHY TEACHER’S ASSOCIATION (GGTA)

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

TOPIC:

“…NOW I KNOW THE LAW”: EMPOWERING MINING COMMUNITIES BY AN ENVIRONMENTAL NGO IN THE TARKWA-NSUAEM MUNICIPALITY OF WESTERN REGION, GHANA

PRESENTER:

YAW ASAMOAHDEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND REGIONAL

PLANNING, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COASTyawasamoah1@gmail.com

BACKGROUND

“If the news media in effect have become a fourth branch of government…, then the NGOs are the fifth branch… but never has this community (NGOs) had so many legal tools at its disposal or as many friends in high places as it does today”

- Cutler, in Knight and Bates (1995, p.190) -

• The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) – the “Earth Summit”, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil marked the introduction of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in environmental governance.

BACKGROUND CONT’D.

• Role of NGOs – documented in the UN’s Agenda 21 – one major agreements of the Earth Summit (Rechkemmer, 2006).

• An NGO as “ any private organisation that pursues activities to relieve suffering, promote the interest of the poor, protect the environment, provide basic social services, or undertake community development” (World Bank, 1995).

BACKGROUND CONT’D.

• NGOs in Ghana – “Nnoboa System” or self-help groups and private voluntary agencies.

• Why? – due to the downward trend of the socio-economic and political situations in the 1970s (International Centre for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL), n.d.).

• In 1988, PNDC Law 207 allowed NGOs in Ghana’s environmental management (www.wds.worldbank.org)

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Mining in Ghana is over a century (Akabzaa & Darimani, 2001).

The district – highest concentration of mining companies in Africa (Akabzaa and Darimani, 2001; WACAM, 2008).

In spite of the benefits of the sector, it comes with several problems. RESOURCE CURSE? – maybe.

PROBLEM STATEMENT CONT’D.

Who cares? The Wassa Association of Communities Affected be Mining (WACAM) and others do.

Who/what is WACAM?An NGO formed in 1992.WACAM’s activities in line with the

national policy on environmental management?

WACAM’s impact on environmental management?

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:The Abilities Model (Kruse, 1999); by INTRAC,

UK

ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE

ABILITY TO RELATE:

STANDING LINKAGES

RESPONSIVENESS

ABILITY TO BE:

GOVERNANACE

LEADERSHIPIDENTITY

ABILITY TO DO:

RELEVANCEEFFECTIVENES

SSUSTAINABILT

Y

ABILITY TO ORGANISE:

HUMAN RESOURCES

SYSTEMSFINANCES

INTERNAL DIMENSIONS EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS

METHODOLOGY

• Research philosophyInterpretive.Social constructivism – peoples construct

their social world (Creswell, 2007; Mertens, 2005).

• Data source – primary (FGDs, IDI, observation) & secondary

• Research participants – WACAM stuff, government agencies, opinion leaders, residents.

METHODOLOGY CONT’D.

Sampling procedure – purposive & snowball.

Sample size – 77 (35 male, 42 female), Research instruments FGDs – 8, four in each communityIDI – 11 Study communities – Odumase and

Teberebe

Map of Tarkwa-Nsuem showing study communities

MAIN FINDINGS

Environmental condition of the study communities:

pollution (air, water, soil, noise);deforestation; abandonment of mine pits; and dumping of rock waste on fertile lands

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

“..I swear our environment is really destroyed. Our lands, rivers, “good air”, etc. are all gone”

“Even now, as am talking with you, when they blast the rocks at 13:30, you will feel the smoke (fumes) that will come out. It’s really bad!”

“A rock from the blast site cut through my roof and entered my room. So our lives are in danger in this community” – Opinion leader, Odumase

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

Water/rivers have been polluted:“It’s serious oo! When you put the water in a saucepan, there is rusting of the saucepan over a short period. When you cook with the water, the food becomes dark. For instance when you put a peeled plantain in the water, it becomes dark. We can even demonstrate it to you now. It’s amazing. Something serious should be done about these things” – FGD Participant, Odumase

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

Public agencies – perceived as incompetent

Hence WACAM – 1992, TNMKnowledge of WACAM in the communitiesSome section of the communities and

DSW – an ENGO.EPA and some community members – not

an ENGO. “As far as I am concerned, WACAM is not an

environmental NGO; it’s a civil right activist”. – EPA Officer.

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

WACAM builds capacities of residents on their right to clean environment and mining laws:

“...even though am not a lawyer, I have a lot of knowledge about law, thanks to WACAM. They always organise workshops for us to educate us the laws of Ghana, our rights as Ghanaians, and mining laws. As you can see pasted on the wall ‘What is Law?’ Am not a lawyer, yet I learn these things. So now I know the law”. – FGD Participant, Odumase

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

“...They came with some soldiers to beat us up some time ago. A man was shot, and I was severely beaten such that I had blood clotting in my lower abdomen. It was WACAM that publicized the case for us...Just this Wednesday through the intervention of WACAM, the case of the man who was shot by the soldiers has been published for everyone to see...Had it not been WACAM, you will be there and soldiers will come and beat you to death. But now, since we have been educated to know our rights, we can also standing against them” – FGD Participant, Teberebie

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

WACAM’s “Abilities”Ability To BeGovernance – well organisedLeadership – consultative and participatoryIdentity – makes environmental identity well

known to staff“We are one big environmental advocacy NGO in the country with much interest in mining and the plight of mining communities. That is why WACAM is mentioned anytime there is environmental problem, especially about mining” – Staff, WACAM.

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

Ability To OrganiseHuman resources – well trained staffSystems and procedures – have well

structured time-table to carry out projects

Financial and material resources – raise both internal and external funds

Material assets – well furnished office

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

Ability to Relate (Linkages)Standing – residents, as well as the DSW have

confidence in the operations of WACAMAlliance – relates well with other

organisations and agencies, e.g. FIAN, NCOM, DSW, etc.

“...we also go through various documents that have been submitted to us by the various communities to ascertain the truth behind what they have in the annual reports”. – Municipal Director, DSW

Responsiveness – environment and mining.

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

Ability to Do (Performance)Relevance – to mining communities.Effectiveness – WACAM have been able to

achieve some objectives it has set out for itself – from the point of view of the NGO itself and other stakeholders.

“...once we have the communities empowered and know that agencies like EPA have the responsibility to give feedback and the communities hold EPA accountable, then the objective that we set for ourselves has been realised. For us, we assess ourselves against such improvements”. – ED, WACAM

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

“...At first there were so much discomforting effects as a result of the mining, but now things have changed. The intensity of these environmental problems – dust, blast and noise has reduced”. – Opinion Leader, Teberebie

Sustainability – youth and women development, developing institutional collaborations, and development of intellectual capabilities.

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

Challenges WACAM facedInadequate staffInsufficient funding Opposition from EPA and some residentsJust yesterday, some farmers whose farms

were taken over by the mining company about three years ago went for demonstration, but they were blocked by some residents of this town - Opinion leader, Odumase)

MAIN FINDINGS CONT’D.

As we have said already, not all the people in the community side with WACAM...Even when they (possibly referring to the other community members) see you with us, they will be calling us names like “mansootwefo”(litigants). This is because the company knows that WACAM is an organization that reveals the secrets of the mining companies, so when they come from work, they tell the members of the community that if they join WACAM, the company will not help them. So it has made even elders of the town to be against WACAM. Even when there is anything to be shared among the community members and you are seen to be a sympathizer of WACAM, they won’t give you. They will have a way to prevent you from enjoying whatever it is at stake - (Participant, FGD, Teberebie)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Donor agencies should deem it fit to sponsor WACAM/ENGOs to sustain the environment

Healthy ties between WACAM, like-minded (E)NGOs, government agencies, esp. EPA and local communities

(E)NGO should build capacities of local residents instead of hand-outs

(E)NGOs should employ people with the right qualifications

THANK YOU ALL

DR. K.B. ANTWIDR. O. AKYEAMPONGDR. E.K. AMENUMEY

MR. D. OWUSU-KORANTENG