Jimi Reclamation project targets 153 hectares of mining-damaged land

The government, in partnership with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has launched a land reclamation project to restore 153 hectares of degraded land and rehabilitate the Jimi River watercourse in the Ashanti Region.

The Jimi Land Reclamation and River Watercourse Rehabilitation Project was launched on Wednesday at Tasliman in the Adansi Sakwa District as part of efforts to address the environmental damage caused by illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.

The pilot initiative focuses on land upstream of the Jimi Dam, a key source of drinking water for communities in the Adanse Traditional Area. Illegal mining activities in the area have stripped vegetation, contaminated the soil and caused toxic sediments to wash into waterways, threatening the dam and the quality of water available to residents.

Speaking at the launch, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling environmental degradation and restoring damaged landscapes.

He said the Jimi project should serve as a model for similar interventions across the country, helping to rehabilitate degraded areas and promote greening.

The initiative is anchored by the Manhyia Palace as part of the Asantehene’s environmental restoration agenda. The Ashanti Green Initiative is leading implementation and community engagement, with technical and operational support from AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi Mine, under its Managing Director, Samuel Boakye Pobee.

The project is supported by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, led by Mahama Ayariga.

Activities at the launch included an inspection of the Jimi Dam, a technical briefing on the extent of environmental degradation, and a symbolic tree-planting exercise led by the Asantehene, the two ministers, and the Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi Mine.

The project is expected to contribute to the restoration of damaged land and the rehabilitation of the river system, while helping to protect the Jimi Dam and the communities that depend on it.