Ghana faces escalating crisis from illegal mining and forest destruction

Illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, is causing significant environmental and economic threats across Ghana. In the Bono Region, residents of Berekum are calling for intensified government action to protect rivers such as the Tano and Ankobra from pollution caused by illegal mining and logging. They warn that the destruction of these water bodies threatens food security, as farmers lose reliable irrigation sources, which could lead to food shortages and increased inflation.

An investigation by Save the Mining Communities-Ghana (SMC-Gh) highlights the expansion of these activities into the Atewa Forest, a critical ecological site in the Eastern Region. The five-month undercover study found that illegal mining has become an organized economy, with some miners reportedly migrating from Burkina Faso, Togo, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Niger. This movement suggests a regional dimension to the crisis, where cross-border migration and informal labor networks drive the destruction of forests and the pollution of vital water resources.