Mineral exhaustion, livelihoods and persistence of vulnerabilities in ASM settings

Abstract

Formalization of the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector has come to dominate discourse on mineral exhaustion, livelihoods, and persistence of vulnerabilities in ASM settings. Often touted as a panacea to curbing the excesses of informal mining operations, the call for the formalization of ASM operations continue unabated. In this paper, we explore how the operations and management practices in the growing formal ASM sector get formulated and (re)negotiated in practice. We develop our contribution in the context of a formalised small-scale mining operator in Ghana, focusing on its organizing practices and operational outcomes within the contingencies of organizing to explicate how livelihoods and vulnerabilities persisting in ASM settings gets identified and labelled in practice. Data for our inquiry comes from ethnographic interviews with management and staff. Our findings in emphasizing, but also nuancing, what has come to be known as the ‘mineral-exhaustion-vulnerabilities’, provides insights into how the organizing practices induced by formalization cohere to support socio-economic and environmental mitigation efforts. We note that the persistence of vulnerabilities, rather than the lack of mitigation mechanisms, is largely influenced by profligacy and the incipient lack of investment culture. We conclude by highlighting the need for sustainability mechanisms, based on exit strategies for ASM operators, to tie in with comprehensive policies and lessons on income diversification and investment.