Illegal mining continues to degrade Ghana’s forest

The countryside is riddled with numerous illegal mining activities, some of which are carried out by local community members in conjunction with foreigners with serious consequences on the environment.

In a bid to curb the impact of illegal mining activities on Ghana‘s forests, the Forestry Commission (FC) has mounted surveillance over the forests and on January 30 this year, the Rapid Response Team of the FC arrested eight people; five Chinese nationals and three Ghanaians for carrying out illegal mining activities at the Krobo portion of the Apamprama Forest Reserve in the Bekwai Forest District.

A team from Tropenbos International Ghana paid a working visit to the Forest Reserve on February 2 and found out that mining activities taking place at the fringes of the Forest Reserve had destroyed a vast portion of forest land leaving behind deep pits and loose soils

In addition, debris from the pits had silted up portions and blocked the free flow of water in the Oda River, thus depriving water to many communities along the banks of the river.

The gravity of the destruction of Ghana’s countryside and forests as a result of illegal mining prompted the making of the documentary film, ‘The Price of Gold: Chinese Mining in Ghana’ in a bid to draw international attention to the situation and build local consensus to clamp it down but up to now, illegal mining in Ghana continues unabated.