Global Greengrants Fund is made up of a network of international environmental activists and experts working on the ground to channel your donations to environmental groups that need them. To learn more about and the issues we’re focusing on each month and the people directing your donations, we decided to ask our experts a few questions.
Mining and oil operations can be devastating for some areas. How do the communities directly affected by these industries view and respond to the problems they cause? To give us a local perspective, we contacted Abdulai Darimani, an advisor on Global Greengrants Fund’s West Africa Advisory Board and an expert on mining issues in Ghana.
Abdulai Darimani – Directing Grants in Ghana around Mining Issues
To learn more about Abdulai and his work, check out his bio.
Q: What are the biggest challenges around mining both locally and globally?
A:The biggest challenges of mining locally and globally can be summarized under three main headings:
- The unequal distribution of wealth generated by mining between companies, host governments, and people in communities directly affected by mining projects. Specifically, multinational mining companies, in collaboration with local elites, take a relatively large proportion of mineral wealth, while leaving very little for host countries and nothing for local communities.
- Environmental pollution, including the destruction of livelihoods of mining communities. For example, mining activities pollute water resources and the atmosphere with dust, noise, and various chemicals. The degradation of land and the pollution of water and atmosphere affect the health, income, and livelihoods of local residents.
- Social disruptions, including violations of human rights of men and women in communities affected by mining.
Q: How is Global Greengrants Fund supporting work around mining?
A: There are three groups that are directly involved in mining projects: communities, mining companies, and governments. Among the three groups, communities are the weakest politically. They have little power to negotiate and defend their interests.
Global Greengrants Fund supports, among others:
- Linkages and coordinated action among community-based groups in their response to the impacts of mining projects. Support from Global Greengrants Fund has enabled broader membership of the National Coalition on Mining (NCOM) in Ghana, the evolution of Host Communities Network (HoCoN) in Nigeria, and a similar one that is emerging in Mali.
- Enabling environmental education, experience, and advocacy
- Infrastructure/tools, such as chairs for meetings and cameras for gathering evidence
- Raising awareness
- Enabling a citizen voice by supporting intervention in policy process and decision-making platforms
- Evidenced-based research and dissemination of findings
- Litigation
- Enabling timely response to political opportunities on different scales
Global Greengrants Fund support has enabled groups to acquire office space, which has allowed them to better observe the activities of mining companies and state institutions. For example, in June 2011, Concerned Citizens of Sefwi used a camera procured with Global Greengrants Fund support to capture dead fish caused by cyanide pollution from Chirano Gold Mines operating in Akoti-Etwebo in the Western Region of Ghana. This enabled the community to challenge the company on the extent of pollution and the remedial measures required. The company previously tried to dismiss the pollution.
Q: What successes or changes have you seen thus far?
A: There is now coordinated action through well organized national networks linked to national and international advocacy organizations. For instance, NCOM and HoCoN are beginning to share experiences and rally advocacy efforts, especially on common issues.
Public awareness and the recognition of community input has improved. For instance, before 2004, no national institution considered the role of communities in mining policymaking. Today, NCOM is one of the key pillars in determining national mining policy.
For example, the President of Ghana set a National Constitution Review Commission to review the 1992 Constitution of the country. One of the issues being considered for review is land and natural resources. In March 2011, the Commission organized a constitutional review conference. Not only were members of NCOM invited as participants, but they were also able to facilitate discussions on land, minerals, oil and gas, forests, and marine issues.
The number of community-based groups in Ghana has increased. Currently, they exist around every large-scale mining concession in Ghana.
Now, community groups also have the confidence and ability to challenge the power of multinational mining companies and state institutions. The source of such confidence is driven partly from linkages and exposure made possible by small grants from Global Greengrants Fund.