The Local Socioeconomic Effects of Gold Mining : Evidence from Ghana
Ghana is experiencing its third gold rush, and this paper sheds light on the socioeconomic impacts of this rapid expansion in industrial production. The paper uses a rich data set consisting of geocoded household data combined with detailed informa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2015
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/04/24416936/local-socioeconomic-effects-gold-mining-evidence-ghana http://hdl.handle.net/10986/21864 |
| Summary: | Ghana is experiencing its third gold
rush, and this paper sheds light on the socioeconomic
impacts of this rapid expansion in industrial production.
The paper uses a rich data set consisting of geocoded
household data combined with detailed information on gold
mining activities, and conducts two types of
difference-in-differences estimations that provide
complementary evidence. The first is a local-level analysis
that identifies an economic footprint area very close to a
mine; the second is a district-level analysis that captures
the fiscal channel. The results indicate that men are more
likely to benefit from direct employment as miners and that
women are more likely to gain from indirect employment
opportunities in services, although these results are
imprecisely measured. Long-established households gain
access to infrastructure, such as electricity and radios.
Migrants living close to mines are less likely to have
access to electricity and the incidence of diarrheal
diseases is higher among migrant children. Overall, however,
infant mortality rates decrease significantly in mining communities. |
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