The Devastating Cost of Ghana's Gold Rush

It is time for the good people of Ghana to come to grips with the brutal fact that there is no such thing as an honest, legally registered small-scale gold miner, oooo. It's a contradiction in terms, akin to saying there are virtuous virgins busy working as sex workers on a daily basis.

What we need to do is offer all young people interested in gold mining the opportunity to come together in cooperatives and be subsidised to work as underground gold miners in the many identified rich seams of gold by the Minerals Commission across the entire territorial landmass of our Republic.

However, the harsh reality is that Ghana's gold rush has come at a devastating cost. According to a 2024 report by the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) activities have led to the destruction of over 30% of Ghana's forest cover, resulting in the loss of biodiversity and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the EPA report reveals that ASM activities have polluted over 70% of Ghana's water bodies, posing serious health risks to millions of Ghanaians.

The economic costs are equally staggering. A 2024 study by the African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET) estimates that Ghana loses over $2 billion annually due to illicit financial flows linked to the gold mining sector. This is a significant blow to Ghana's economy, which is already struggling to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the meantime, while we work towards a more sustainable and equitable gold mining sector, we must take immediate action to halt the destructive practices of artisanal and small-scale miners. This includes enforcing a ban on all surface mining in Ghana, whether legal or illegal in nature, and deploying innovative technologies such as heat seeking AI-powered drones with night vision empowered cameras to monitor and prevent illegal mining activities.

The time for action is now. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and future generations to protect Ghana's environment, promote sustainable economic development, and ensure that the gold mining sector benefits all Ghanaians, not just a privileged few.

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