Responsible mining practices must be adopted to end galamsey – Danchie

A photograph of a mining operation

• Director of Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC), said responsible mining was expected to contribute to the economic development of every country and strengthen the local community

• She noted that proper practices must be adopted to curb the rising illegal mining in the country

• According to her the need to engage women in development is key to the success of the country.

The director of Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC), Ms Sarah-Jane Danchie, has called on industry players to adopt measures that could enhance a safe environment, potable water and food security in the country.

According to Ms Danchie, the methods being used for mining currently in the country is not the best and measures must be adopted to end it. She said responsible mining was the internationally accepted standard of mining, which respected and protected the interest of stakeholders, upholding human health and the environment as paramount.

“Women are the most adversely impacted within the mining community who suffered adverse effects of ASM such as harmful chemicals such as dealing with mercury but they lacked understanding of its impact and some of them even work with the mercury at home amongst the women they worked with and about a third were aged between 19 and 35,” she said while speaking at stakeholder’s engagement on project outcome on promoting environmental and socially responsible artisanal and small scale mining among women in the Northern Region.

She noted that responsible mining was expected to contribute to the economic development of every country and strengthen the local community while inculcating best practices, international or local, and upholding the rule of the law.

Meanwhile, the objectives of the project were to undertake research that explored the challenges faced by women in Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM) in the region for inputs into policy development and provides a series of training sessions for them on responsible mining concerning health and safety.