A lot of raw materials are mined daily, such as Bauxite mining, the extraction of raw material found in the topsoil, extracted through strip mining, and used to produce aluminum in a refinery. Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with relatively high aluminum oxide compounds. It also comprises silica, iron oxides, and titanium dioxide. Sedimentary rocks are formed by the accumulation or deposition of small particles and subsequent cementation of mineral or organic particles on the floor of oceans or other bodies of water at the Earth’s surface. Wikipedia. Bauxite is the world’s main source of aluminum.
-
Ghana Stands To Generate Billions From Chain, But There Could Be Consequences That Could Affect;
- 1. The Environment; since no one can control the wind from blowing and carrying particles like dust, the runoff from the operation would contaminate the rivers and streams, thereby damaging a source of water for millions of people. Areas closer to the location of mining would be polluted with bauxite mining dust.
- 2. Green Forest; Every living creature in the closest green forest, such as monkeys, could disappear as a result of environmental pollution generated from bauxite mining. In March, the U.S. Forest Service visited Atewa Forest, its report. It said mining in Atewa Forest could lead to a “potentially significant and permanent impact” on the forest reserve and its importance as a water source. And if a forest is affected, there would be a change in the pattern of Rainfall which would affect agriculture, and other lively hoods would change.
- 3. Bauxite mining in Ghana could leave the country with a lot of open pits, and this could destroy farmlands, decorate homes and crops in the dust, and damage water sources.
However, it is feared that bauxite mining could bring to Ghana’s environment and its people. However, the government tried to allay the fears of the people of Ghana through encouraging words.
According to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, in September, said that the forest and water bodies would not be damage.
The President said at a sustainable development conference in May, “I am satisfied by what I have been told and what has been demonstrated to me that we can get that red mud out without disturbing the wildlife that there is in the Atewa mountains,” washintonpost.com
These reports show that the government hears the complains and fears of the people and that he does not make decisions without considering the welfare of his people. It is noteworthy that Ghana is a West Africa country that mines gold, diamond, and manganese. It has grown to become the world’s second-biggest grower of cocoa. And President Nana Akufo-Addo plans to use the proceeds of bauxite mining to build bridges, and roads, schools, and hospitals. So the government is inviting investors to submit proposals on how to extract the Nations bauxite deposits to generate funds for infrastructure. Although it concluded a $2 billion deal with China’s Sinohydro Corp. Limited last year for infrastructure projects, a deal the Ghana government agreed that it would refund with the proceeds of refined bauxite sales.
