The Corporate Social Responsibility of the Mining Companies in Safeguarding the Natural Resources: A Legal Study with a Special Reference to Ghana

Abstract

The environment, its natural resources, and development capability continue to be contested issues in human society's growth process. Ghana, like Africa and other developing countries, is heavily reliant on natural resources for economic growth and development. This environment and natural resource exploitation process is directly immersed in the mining of gold resources. While mining firms tout their contributions to development and social services, local populations oppose and demand an end to large-scale gold mining on their "land." The study studies incidents of company-community disputes over gold mining and the underlying causes, dispute resolution procedures, and shortcomings in the present framework using an informant data gathering approach and secondary data collection. Cases involving compensation and resettlement packages Unfulfilled promises, distrust, and a lack of alternative alternatives for economically displaced populations. The findings revealed that mining corporations worldwide were selective in their CSR disclosures, disclosing more qualitative information than quantitative information, despite the latter being more objective and helpful to stakeholders. Furthermore, our research revealed a misalignment between the priority of the gold mining industry's CSR themes and local communities' concerns regarding sustainable mineral development. The conflict resolution technique is also criticised for being too bureaucratic, disconnected from the cultural and social complexities of local communities, and solely focused on the interests of the enterprise. The study suggests a new framework that considers communities as important but not peripheral to the overall national framework, as well as preserving and improving local alternatives. Plans for sustainable development that are co-designed by the community and directed by the community.