Illegal miners threaten Ghana's forests: govt

Illegal miners threaten Ghana's forests: govt
by AFP Staff Writers
Accra (AFP) May 3, 2023

Ghana's forestry commission has warned that illegal mining activities were destroying forest reserves despite government pledges to curb the practice.

Since taking office in 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo has promised to rid the gold-rich country of "galamsey", the name given by locals to illegal, small-scale mining.

"Records we have at the ministry indicate that out of the 16 regions, seven have been experiencing some form of illegal mining," said John Allotey, the Chief Executive of Ghana's Forestry Commission on Tuesday, adding that "34 out of 288 reserves have been affected".

The total area destroyed by illegal mining, he told reporters at a briefing, is estimated at 4,726 hectares -- an area bigger than Athens or Brussels.

Galamsey not only reduces the size of the forest, he said, but also pollutes water bodies and creates deep holes which are then difficult to reclaim.

The authorities regularly crack down on illegal sites, taking away excavators, but still the practice continues.

"We want to intensify surveillance, engage the military to do surgical operations in the hotspot areas, and source for additional funding," said Allotey.

Aside from illegal mining, he said that the main driver of deforestation was agricultural expansion.

Other contributors are illegal logging, wildfires, overgrazing and infrastructure development.

Ghana has "revised laws, put measures and systems in place to ensure that our forests are well protected, but in spite of all these, our forests are still being destroyed," said Nehemiah Odjer-Bio of Friends of the Earth Ghana, a grassroots environmental network.

He blamed weak law enforcement, corruption and unemployment for fuelling deforestation activities.

The environmentalist warned that further deforestation could have far-reaching impacts.

"Ghana has a tropical biodiverse forest with different species of trees and animals that all serve important functions as far as the country and the world is concerned," Odjer-Bio told AFP.

"Because of the changes in climate... it is very important for us to ensure that the remaining forest is well protected in order to enhance its climate amelioration functions."

Meanwhile, Ghana's attorney general and minister of justice Godfred Yeboah Dame said this week that 727 people were standing trial over alleged involvement in illegal mining, according to state-owned Graphic media.