Ghana Takes a Stand: Protecting Forests from Mining

Ghana has made a big decision to stop mining in its forest reserves. This move is all about protecting the environment, especially water sources and forests. The country is known for its gold, but small-scale mining has been causing a lot of problems. It's destroying cocoa farms, damaging forests and rivers, and making it harder to keep mining sustainable. Illegal mining is everywhere in Ghana, affecting 13 out of its 16 regions. This includes important cocoa-growing areas like Ashanti, Western, and Eastern regions. The government has been trying to fix these issues by giving licenses to small miners, setting up community programs, and sending security to stop illegal mining and gold trading. Back in 2022, there were rules that allowed some mining in forest reserves. But now, those rules have been canceled. This change gives Ghana stronger laws to protect its forests, water, and farmland. The acting environment minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said that healthy forests bring rain, protect farms, and support communities. Clean rivers are crucial for drinking water and the future. This is a big change in Ghana's environmental policy. Before, almost 90% of forest reserves were open to mining. Now, the focus is on restoring and protecting these areas. Daryl Mensah-Bonsu from Da Rocha Ghana, an environmental group, said that stopping mining alone won't solve all the problems. There's still a need to address issues like logging and farming encroachment. A national forest development program is needed to restore and grow forests for future generations.