The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is teaming up with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to boost land reclamation efforts in mining areas nationwide.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced this partnership aims to promote sustainable mining practices and formalize Ghana’s gold business sector.
This initiative is part of GoldBod’s broader commitment to environmental stewardship, including the restoration of several hectares of land.
The program will employ cutting-edge environmental remediation techniques and sustainable land-use planning to transform abandoned mining sites into productive agricultural land, community spaces, and restored natural habitats.
“The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ghana Gold Board shall support and scale up Sustainability initiatives such as land reclamation,” he told Parliament.
Illegal mining, known as galamsey, has severely degraded more than 4,000 hectares of land including compromised 34 forest reserves across seven regions.
Recent government actions including banning mining in forest reserves and launching rehabilitation initiatives forms part of interventions to secure our lands.
Empirical findings indicate that major rivers, including the Pra and Ankobra, are heavily polluted with mercury and cyanide, exceeding WHO safety limits. Deforestation rates in mining zones have significantly reduced carbon sequestration, contributing to climate vulnerability.
Restoration strategies—such as afforestation, biochar application, and phytoremediation—have had mixed success due to weak policy enforcement, financial constraints, and low community engagement.
Source: Kwadwo Baffour Atuahene
