Climate Change and Galamsey in Northern Ghana: Security Implications for the Sahel

The impact of both climate change and galamsey (illegal small-scale mining) on the Ghanaian economy is manifold ranging from personal to state insecurity. Sharing a border with the Sahel and its associated problems regarding state capacity and instability, this paper sought to understand how the twin internal issues (climate change and galamsey) within the northern part of Ghana would impact the already unstable Sahelian region. Using the Human Needs Theory (HNT), and a qualitative approach of rigorous content analysis, this paper was able to understand the push factors accounting for the overindulgence in galamsey such as economic distress and lack of access to basic needs. The paper therefore concluded that if state capacity is not increased to provide effective ways of adapting to climate change as well as ensure sustainable avenues of income, not only will Ghana become a breeding ground for terrorist and jihadist groups recruitment to further cripple the Sahelian region, but such insecurity will have a boomerang effect on the Ghanaian population.