The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has warned that illegal mining has escalated into a national security and public-health crisis, urging government to trigger extraordinary measures—including a state of emergency—to halt the country’s rapidly deteriorating ecological situation.
In a communiqué issued after its Annual Plenary Assembly in Damongo, the bishops argued that the ongoing destruction of forests, water bodies, and farmlands now poses grave risks to national stability, food security, and the health of millions of Ghanaians.
Recent national data highlighted by the Conference paints a disturbing picture: over 5,252 hectares of forest reserves destroyed by illegal mining in 2025, with 44 out of 288 reserves classified as degraded. Even more alarming, three-quarters of Ghana’s rivers have been contaminated, largely due to the rampant use of mercury and cyanide by unregulated mining operators.
The GCBC said the scale of the damage shows that environmental collapse is no longer just an ecological issue but a direct threat to livelihoods, agriculture, safe drinking water, and public health, insisting that “the survival of entire communities is at stake.”
Despite government interventions such as the creation of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the bishops said current efforts fall far short of what the emergency demands. They urged President John Dramani Mahama to introduce bold, uncompromising measures, including:
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Declaring a state of emergency in areas severely impacted by illegal mining
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Ensuring swift, non-partisan prosecution of offenders
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Enforcing full reclamation of destroyed lands
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Publishing transparent national data on water quality, forest cover, and food safety
The Conference also praised traditional leaders—especially chiefs and queen mothers—who have taken uncompromising positions against illegal mining, calling on others to join the national effort.
The bishops emphasised that combating galamsey is not solely the responsibility of the State, urging citizens to recognise that the pollution of rivers and destruction of forests threatens Ghana’s future. “Our nation’s water sources and lands must be protected, sanitised, and restored,” the communiqué said. “This is now a battle for survival.”
