Abstract
LL.M. (International Law)
Mining is an activity which contributes greatly and positively to a country’s economic development by creating job opportunities, development of roads, health care centres and educational facilities. However, mining in certain instances can also have a long lasting
negative environmental and social impact on communities. The focus of this dissertation will be to address those instances where mining has a negative social impact on the communities where such mining projects are taking place. The negative social impact of mining in certain cases is regarded as a universal phenomenon. Citizens of many countries where mining activities take place i.e. “mining counties” especially in the under-developed, developing and countries with economies in transition, such as Ghana,
Mali, South Africa and Tanzania in an African Continent are confronted with an array of negative consequences associated with the negative social impact of mining activities. However this does not mean that other continents are immune from this. Asian countries such as Paupau New Guinea, India, and China are also faced with the negative social impact of mining.