An environmental journalist has stressed the need for stricter enforcement of mining regulations as part of efforts to address the growing challenge of illegal mining in Ghana.
Erastus Asare Donkoh said responsible and environmentally sustainable mining practices must remain central to the national campaign against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he noted that enforcing laws governing the mining sector was essential to protecting forests and water bodies from the destruction caused by unregulated mining activities.
Mr Asare Donkoh urged authorities to intensify supervision of mining operations to ensure that operators complied with environmental standards and legal requirements.
He said government and other stakeholders were already undertaking initiatives to transition miners from illegal operations to safer and regulated mining practices.
According to him, institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency and other state agencies were playing key roles in implementing these efforts to protect natural resources and promote sustainable development in mining communities.
Mr Asare Donkoh observed that illegal mining had caused severe pollution in major rivers and led to the destruction of large areas of forest reserves and farmlands across the country.
The environmental damage, he explained, posed serious threats to water security, biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities that depend on natural resources.
He added that the pollution of water bodies had in some cases disrupted water treatment processes and increased the cost of supplying potable water to affected communities.
Mr Asare Donkoh emphasised that public education, community awareness and the creation of alternative livelihood opportunities for young people in mining areas were crucial measures to reduce the attraction to illegal mining.
He also called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, traditional authorities and local communities to ensure that mining activities contributed to economic development without compromising the environment.
According to him, properly regulated mining could generate employment, support local development and help restore degraded lands while safeguarding the country’s natural resources for future generations.
