By Dorothy Frances Ward, GNA
Kumasi, March 10 GNA – Responsible and environmentally sustainable mining practices are critical in the ongoing national fight against illegal mining activities.
Mr Erastus Asare Donkoh, an environmental journalist, who stated this, said the enforcement of laws on responsible mining were indispensable components of efforts to safeguard forests and water bodies from degradation caused by unregulated mining activities.
Speaking to Ghana News Agency (GNA), in an interview, he urged for stronger supervision of mining operations to ensure adherence to established environmental and legal standards.
He said stakeholders and the government were intensifying campaign to transition miners from illegal mining operations to safer and regulated practices,
This is being done with key agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and others.
These initiatives, he explained, were aimed at protecting lives, conserving natural resources, and supporting community development.
He noted that, stakeholders continued to call on government, traditional authorities, and mining communities to work together by promoting responsible mining, educating the public on environmental risks, and ensuring strict monitoring and enforcement of mining regulations.
These were essential strategies to curb the menace of illegal mining, he added.
Mr Asare -Donkor also noted that illegal mining activities had severely polluted major rivers and destroyed large tracts of forest reserves and farmlands across the country.
This is posing serious threats to water security, biodiversity, and livelihoods in affected communities.
He said the destruction of water bodies had in some cases disrupted water treatment processes and increased the cost of providing potable water to communities.
He added that strengthening community awareness and providing alternative livelihood opportunities for youth in mining areas would help reduce the attraction to illegal mining.
He emphasised the need for sustained collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations and local communities to ensure that mining contributed positively to economic development without compromising the environment for future generations.
Responsible mining, when properly regulated and monitored, could create employment opportunities, generate revenue for local development, and restore degraded lands while protecting Ghana’s natural resources, he said.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Linda Asante Agyei