Pollution of water bodies and related impacts on aquatic ecosystems and ecosystem services: The case of Ghana's booming ‘galamsey’ industry

Galamsey is a Ghanaian jargon from the phrase "gather and sell," coined from how gold was mined with simple tools by natives and sold afterwards. Despite its socio-economic benefits, a significant upsurge in galamsey has been widely associated with significant environmental impacts viz, destruction of aquatic ecosystems and ecosystems services. This paper discuses impacts of galamsey on aquatic ecosystems and ecosystem services using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework in combination with the quantitative defensible impact characterization approach to establish the cause-and-impact relationships between pollutants associated with galamsey, the extent to which aquatic ecosystems and ecosystem services are impacted while answering the questions what is happening to the environment and why it is happening (compilation and analysis of status and trends of key environmental indicators) and what the consequences are for the environment (analysis of impacts of environmental change on ecosystem services). There were highly significant differences (P < 0001) between the analysed mean Hg, As and turbidity levels and the permissible levels in surface water with the potential of affecting ecosystem services including water for drinking, water for recreational, water for irrigational, and water for aqua culture purposes. Spiritual values, symbolic values, recreation, aqua culture and fish harvest were among ecosystem services highly impacted with a high impact significance ranged 101-125 (++++orange) while aesthetic experience was very highly impacted with a very high impact significance ranged between 126 and 150 (+++++red). Discolouration by silt, and hydromorphological alteration had a medium-high impact significance ranged from 76 to 100 (+++yellow) while spiritual value had a low-medium impact significance ranged from 51 to 75 (represented by ++green). It is recommended that efforts are made to promote responsible cleaner operations in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector through the provision of subsidized eco-friendly tools for gold amalgamation in addition to regular capacity building training on the impacts of galamsey on ecosystems, ecosystem services and human health using cycle of cause-effect-outlook relationship.