By Dorothy Frances Ward, GNA
Kumasi, May 20, GNA – Dr. Owusu Fordjour Aidoo, an academic researcher and lecturer at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development, has described illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as one of the greatest threats to Ghana’s future and generations yet unborn.
He warned that the increasing destruction caused by illegal mining activities demanded stronger laws, strict enforcement, and collective national action to protect the country’s natural resources.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, Dr. Fordjour Aidoo said what began as small-scale gold mining had now developed into a major national environmental crisis with devastating consequences for water bodies, forests, agriculture, and public health.
According to him, several major rivers, including the Pra, Birim, Ankobra and Offin, had been heavily polluted by illegal mining activities, making water unsafe for domestic use and threatening aquatic life.
“These rivers used to provide drinking water for millions of people and support farming, fishing and transportation in many communities, but today many of them are under serious threat,” he stated.
Dr. Fordjour Aidoo explained that illegal miners continued to use dangerous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, which were often washed into rivers and streams during mining operations.
He said prolonged exposure to such chemicals could result in severe health complications, including cancer, kidney disease, and respiratory illnesses.
Beyond water pollution, he noted that galamsey activities were rapidly destroying forest reserves and fertile farmlands across the country.
Large portions of land, he indicated, had been left barren after mining activities, making them unsuitable for farming while threatening biodiversity and wildlife habitats.
He added that the destruction of forests was worsening the effects of climate change and undermining environmental protection efforts.
Dr. Fordjour Aidoo expressed concern over the growing impact of illegal mining on agriculture, saying cocoa farms, food crops and other agricultural activities in mining communities were being destroyed by excavators and polluted water sources.
He warned that the situation posed a serious threat to food security and the livelihoods of thousands of farming families.
The environmental expert said Ghana Water Limited had repeatedly raised concerns about the effect of illegal mining on water treatment due to high turbidity levels and severe siltation in polluted rivers.
According to him, some water treatment plants were struggling to produce adequate potable water because of the deteriorating quality of raw water sources.
Dr. Fordjour Aidoo cautioned that Ghana could face a serious water crisis in future if urgent measures were not taken to protect water bodies from further destruction.
“Some reports even suggest that Ghana may eventually be forced to import water if we fail to protect our rivers and streams,” he stated.
He stressed that the fight against illegal mining should not be politicised but treated as a national emergency requiring collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, and local communities.
While acknowledging the government’s recent efforts to intensify the fight against galamsey through stricter monitoring of excavators, waterbody clean-up exercises, and enforcement operations, more decisive measures he said were needed.
He called for transparency, stronger enforcement of environmental laws, and tougher sanctions against offenders to deter others from engaging in environmental destruction.
According to him, weak law enforcement, political interference, corruption, and youth unemployment continued to fuel illegal mining activities in many parts of the country.
Dr. Fordjour Aidoo said sustainable employment opportunities, vocational training and economic empowerment programmes should be introduced for young people in mining communities to reduce their dependence on illegal mining.
He also urged traditional authorities to support law enforcement agencies by refusing to allow illegal miners to operate on community lands.
The media, he noted, had played a critical role in exposing the destructive effects of galamsey through investigative reports and documentaries and encouraged journalists to sustain public awareness campaigns on the issue.
Dr. Fordjour Aidoo emphasised that environmental sustainability remained crucial to Ghana’s development, noting that clean water, fertile lands, and healthy forests were indispensable resources for agriculture, tourism, industry, and public health.
“Destroying these resources for short-term financial gain threatens the long-term prosperity of the nation,” he said.
He stressed the need to protect the environment to ensure that future generations inherited safe drinking water, productive farmlands, and healthy ecosystems.
“We owe future generations the responsibility of protecting our environment and natural resources,” he concluded.
GNA
Edited by Yussif Ibrahim/Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Dorothy Frances Ward
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