Ghana: Communities Affected by Mining in the Tarkwa Region

The Human Rights Clinic documented the effects of gold mining on Ghanaians living in the Tarkwa area in the Western Region of Ghana. The Clinic went to Ghana in October of 2009, partnering with Center for Public Interest Law at UT and the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) in Ghana to survey the area and conduct interviews.

Melvin Huang (left), a Clinic student, visits one of the open-pit mines in Ghana in 2009.
Melvin Huang (left), a Clinic student, visits one of the open-pit mines in Ghana in 2009.

The Clinic published the resulting report, The Cost of Gold: Communities Affected by Mining in the Tarkwa Region of Ghana, in the fall of 2010. The UN Rapporteur on the Right to Health visited Ghana. In his mission report, the Rapporteur echoed the concerns of the Clinic.

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