8 months ago
Ghana Bans Mining in Forest Reserves
Ghana has decided to stop mining in its forest areas to protect the environment.
This is because small-scale mining has been causing a lot of damage to farms, forests, and rivers.
Big mining companies have been having trouble with illegal miners entering their areas, so they have been spending more money on security.
The government has been trying to fix these problems by giving licenses to small miners and sending security to stop illegal mining.
The new rule will help protect forests, water, and farmland.
The environment minister said that healthy forests are important for rainfall, farms, and communities.
An environmental expert said that this change is a big step, but more needs to be done to fix other problems like logging and farming in these areas.
Ghana has banned mining in forest reserves to protect the environment and curb deforestation.
The ban aims to safeguard water bodies, farmland, and forests from the damage caused by poorly regulated small-scale mining.
Illegal mining has spread to 13 of Ghana's 16 regions, affecting key cocoa belts and forcing major mining companies to invest more in security.
The Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, introduced in 2022, allowed controlled mining in forest reserves, but this has now been repealed.
The repeal will provide stronger legal tools to protect forests, water sources, and farmland, according to the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.
- Who
- Ghana's Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Acting Environment Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Environmental Advocate Daryl Mensah-Bonsu
- What
- Banned mining in forest reserves to protect the environment
- Where
- Ghana, affecting 13 of its 16 regions, including key cocoa belts in Ashanti, Western, and Eastern regions
- When
- The repeal took effect this week after a 21-day constitutional period
- Why
- To safeguard water bodies, halt deforestation, and address the surge in poorly regulated small-scale mining that is destroying cocoa farms, degrading forests and rivers, and heightening sustainability risks for the mining sector
Key facts
- Country
- Ghana
- Affected Regions
- 13 of 16 regions, including Ashanti, Western, and Eastern
- Key Industries Affected
- Mining, Cocoa Farming
- Major Mining Companies
- Gold Fields, AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont, Asante Gold
- Regulation Introduction Year
- 2022
- Repeal Effective Date
- This week (as of the article's publication)
- Acting Environment Minister
- Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
- Environmental Advocate
- Daryl Mensah-Bonsu, Da Rocha Ghana
Quotes
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
Acting Environment Minister of Ghana
“Healthy forests bring rainfall, protect our farms, and give life to our communities. Clean rivers secure our drinking water and our future.”
deccanchronicle.com
Daryl Mensah-Bonsu
Environmental advocate from Da Rocha Ghana
“The repeal alone will not be the panacea ... We now have an opportunity to address teething issues of encroachment from logging and farming and to put in place a national forest development programme to restore and grow our forests to serve present and future generations.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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