The Government of Ghana has initiated a major legal step to reinforce environmental protection by laying before Parliament the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Revocation Instrument, 2025, aimed at closing loopholes that previously allowed mining in protected forest areas.
The proposed Legislative Instrument (L.I), which will mature after 21 sitting days, seeks to revoke L.I. 2501 and L.I. 2462, two regulations that granted the President and relevant ministers discretionary power to approve mining operations in forest reserves.
If approved, the revocation will mark a decisive shift in Ghana’s mining policy, signalling the government’s intent to curb environmental degradation caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and to restore public confidence in natural resource governance.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, the revocation is part of a wider national strategy to eliminate illegal mining and promote sustainable practices under initiatives such as the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
Officials say the move will help seal legal loopholes that have been exploited to grant mining rights in ecologically sensitive zones, despite Ghana’s strong environmental laws.
Environmentalists and civil-society groups have long criticised L.I. 2462, arguing that it effectively opened forest reserves to commercial exploitation and weakened safeguards designed to protect biodiversity, water bodies, and climate buffers.
“The revocation of this law is long overdue. It sends a strong message that government is finally prioritising sustainability over short-term economic gains,” said one environmental advocate reacting to the move.
Under the previous regime, L.I. 2462 and L.I. 2501 were viewed as instruments that granted excessive discretionary authority to the Presidency and the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, creating room for political interference and abuse of power in the issuance of mining permits.
If Parliament approves the revocation, mining in forest reserves will face a total legal ban, effectively halting all new mining authorisations in those areas and reinforcing Ghana’s obligations under international environmental protection frameworks.
Observers say the development could reshape Ghana’s environmental policy landscape, setting a stronger precedent for the protection of forest ecosystems, which continue to face severe threats from galamsey and unregulated mining.
