Ecological Resistance Movements: A Case Study From Ghana

Abstract

The issue of mismanagement of natural resources and its attendant effects of environmental degradation across  the globe has engaged the attention of environmentalists, activists including organisations that  can  be  described  as  environmental  resistant  movements. Ghana is facing serious environmental problems and one factor for this  is  its  increased  dependence  on  the  extractive  sector  of  the economy. Many have shown concern about this problem and have taken bold initiative to do something to address the problem. This has  concretely  manifested  itself  in  the  formation  of  a  number  of movements  mainly  in  the  form  of  NGOs  which  are  locally--based over  the  years.  Wassa  Association  of  Communities  Affected  by Mining  (WACAM),  which  has  been  selected  as  a  case  study  is informed  by  the  successes  it  has  chalked  in  the  areas  of activism,advocacy  and  influencing  policy  especially  on  mining  in the  Wassa  Area  in  particular,  and  Ghana  in  general  and  possibly beyond.