The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is partnering with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to strengthen land reclamation efforts in mining areas across the country.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced that the partnership aims to promote sustainable mining practices and formalize Ghana’s gold business sector.
This initiative is part of GoldBod’s broader commitment to environmental stewardship, including the restoration of several hectares of land.
The program will employ advanced environmental remediation techniques and sustainable land-use planning to transform abandoned mining sites into productive agricultural land, community spaces, and restored natural habitats.
“The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ghana Gold Board will support and scale up sustainability initiatives, such as land reclamation,” he told Parliament.
Illegal mining, also known as galamsey, has severely degraded over 4,000 hectares of land and compromised 34 forest reserves across seven regions.
Recent government actions, including a ban on mining in forest reserves and the launch of rehabilitation initiatives, form part of efforts to protect the land.
Empirical findings indicate that major rivers, including the Pra and Ankobra, are heavily polluted with mercury and cyanide, exceeding WHO safety limits.
Deforestation in mining zones has significantly reduced carbon sequestration, exacerbating climate vulnerability.
Restoration strategies, such as afforestation, biochar application, and phytoremediation, have had mixed success due to weak policy enforcement, financial constraints, and low community engagement.
Source: myxyzonline.com
