University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR), Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 VW, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), International House, Annie Jiage Road, University of Ghana, Legon Campus, Accra, Ghana.
Environ Manage. 2021 Nov;68(5):720-737. doi: 10.1007/s00267-021-01494-7. Epub 2021 Jul 1.
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in sub-Saharan Africa creates considerable dynamics in rural landscapes. Many studies addressed the adverse effects of mining, but few studies use participatory spatial tools to assess the effects on land use. Hence, this paper takes an actor perspective to analyze how communities in a mixed farming-mining area in Ghana's Eastern Region perceive the spatial dynamics of ASM and its effects on land for farming and food production from past (1986) to present (2018) and toward the future (2035). Participatory maps show how participants visualize the transformation of food-crop areas into small- and large-scale mining, tree crops, and settlement in all the communities between 1986 and 2018 and foresee these trends to continue in the future (2035). Participants also observe how a mosaic landscape shifts toward a segregated landscape, with simultaneous fragmentation of their farming land due to ASM. Further segregation is expected in the future, with attribution to the expansion of settlements being an unexpected outcome. Although participants expect adverse effects on the future availability of food-crop land, no firm conclusions can be drawn about the anticipated effect on food availability. The paper argues that, if responsibly applied and used to reveal community perspectives and concerns about landscape dynamics, participatory mapping can help raise awareness of the need for collective action and contribute to more inclusive landscape governance. These findings contribute to debates on the operationalization of integrated and inclusive landscape approaches and governance, particularly in areas with pervasive impacts of ASM.
撒哈拉以南非洲的个体和小规模采矿业（ASM）在农村景观中产生了巨大的动态变化。许多研究都探讨了采矿的不利影响，但很少有研究使用参与式空间工具来评估其对土地利用的影响。因此，本文从行动者的角度分析加纳东部混合农业-采矿区的社区如何看待 ASM 的空间动态及其对农业和粮食生产用地的影响，从过去（1986 年）到现在（2018 年），再到未来（2035 年）。参与式地图显示了参与者如何将粮食作物区可视化转化为小规模和大规模采矿、树木作物和定居点，所有社区在 1986 年至 2018 年之间以及未来（2035 年）都预见了这些趋势将继续下去。参与者还观察到马赛克景观如何向隔离景观转变，由于 ASM，他们的农田同时发生碎片化。未来还会有进一步的隔离，由于定居点的扩张，这是一个意外的结果。尽管参与者预计未来粮食作物土地的供应会受到不利影响，但对于未来粮食供应的预期影响，无法得出明确的结论。本文认为，如果负责任地应用并用于揭示社区对景观动态的看法和关注，参与式制图可以帮助提高对集体行动必要性的认识，并有助于更具包容性的景观治理。这些发现为关于综合和包容性景观方法和治理的运作的辩论做出了贡献，特别是在 ASM 影响普遍的地区。
