The Assessment of the Rehabilitation of a Degraded Mine Site: A Case Study of Community Involvement in Amansie Resolute Limited Site
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Date
2009-07-20
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Abstract
Mining generally destabilizes environments and the entire ecosystem. To ensure that mining activities co-exist harmoniously with the human and physical environment, guidelines have been developed which all mining companies are obliged to comply. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of communities’ involvement in pre-mining, mining and post mining activities towards the restoration of degraded mine site. The research was conducted in the Amansie Resolute Mining Site and three adjacent mining communities through socio economic, field botanical surveys, soil sampling and analysis. The socio economic survey was carried out through administration of semi structured questionnaires to chiefs and opinion leaders at Koninase, Kwankyiabo and Manso Nkran. The Mines Department – Kumasi, Environmental Protection Agency, Kumasi, Environmental Officer of Amansie West District Assembly were also interviewed. Botanical studies were carried out in the re-forested waste and tailing dump sites, non forested waste and tailing dump sites and on secondary forest. Trees were randomly selected from each hectare, plot, among the study sites, height, diameter and volume determined; mean species diversity dominance and evenness were also estimated. Litter in-situ and turn-over ratio were compared among the sites. Multiple soil samples were collected and mean nutrient parameters determined through recommended laboratory methods. The result from the socio-economic studies revealed that the mining company pursued the laid down procedures for land acquisition employed some people in the communities, provided some social amenities and restored the degraded mine site. The mean heights of trees were 17.0 m, 16.5 m, 2.5 m, 1.5 m and 48 m for reforested waste and tailing dumps, non forested waste and tailing and secondary forest respectively. The mean diameter measurements were 0.076 m2, 0.075 m2, 0.03 m2, 0.25 m2 and 0.30 m2 in similar order, whilst the mean volume measurement were 0.771 m3, 0.072 m3, 0.070 m3, 0.001 m3 and 3.390 m3. The mean litter ratios were 1:5, 1:2.3, 1:2.43 and 1:4.5 respectively. There were no significant differences in species diversity dominance and evenness among the sites. Soil nutrient levels did not show significant differences at 5% (P< 0.05) using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. A limited number of people were employed through the spectrum of the mining company’s activities. There were above average coverage of trees in restoration sites and soil fertility levels highly competitive among study sites.
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Thesis Submitted to the Department of Agroforestry Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Award of Master of Philosophy in Agroforestry.