By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
Accra, Oct. 15, GNA – The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is funding a reclamation and reforestation project estimated at GH¢35 million to restore an initial 50 hectares of the Tano Nimri Forest Reserve damaged by illegal mining.
The project, being undertaken in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces and the Forestry Commission, forms part of efforts to rehabilitate about 200 hectares of degraded land in the reserve.
It is being implemented under GoldBod’s National Reclamation and Environmental Restoration Programme and its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments.
The intervention combines civil engineering works with long-term reforestation to restore vegetation and rehabilitate land left unsafe by abandoned mining operations.
The first phase covers Compartment 161 of the reserve near Samreboi. GoldBod is providing funding and supervisory oversight, while military engineers are nearing completion of the civil works ahead of the Forestry Commission’s afforestation and ecological restoration activities.
A field report issued by GoldBod said military engineers had filled 10 major mining pits and were completing land levelling before handing over the site to the Forestry Commission.
It said the engineering work involved draining waterlogged excavations, drying and mixing excavated mud with firmer soil, backfilling the pits and reshaping the terrain.
The prescribed works also included grading, compaction and site stabilisation to make the affected land safe and suitable for ecological restoration.
Mr Samuel Danso, Sustainability Manager at Samartex Timber and Plywood Company, described the destruction as extensive.
He said the depth of the excavations made recovery difficult without substantial reclamation work.
The field report recorded 192.4 hectares of land destroyed between 2021 and 2024.
Project documents, however, used an estimated 200 hectares to represent the broader affected area, with 50 hectares selected for the initial intervention.
Mr Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, described the initiative as a national responsibility, although the destruction occurred before the institution was established.
He said the programme reflected GoldBod’s commitment to responsible resource management and environmental protection.
He said GoldBod plans to expand its reclamation programme in 2027.
About GH¢27.9 million has been allocated to civil engineering works, while GH¢7.2 million is projected for afforestation over 10 years.
Dr Hugh Brown, Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, said the intervention would contribute to biodiversity conservation, watershed protection and the sustainability of forest resources.
He appealed to corporate institutions and development partners to support similar reclamation projects.
Professor Ishmael Quaicoe, Director of Responsible Mining at United Nations University said a further 100 hectares of degraded forest land would be reclaimed next year.
The reserve is expected to serve as a pilot for further interventions in mining-damaged landscapes.
For the initial 50 hectares, the next phase will focus on sustained vegetation recovery under the supervision of the Forestry Commission.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Morkporkpor Anku
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