Ghana making financial gains but losing environmental battle against galamsey – Prof. Appiagyei-Atua

A Professor at the University of Ghana School of Law, Professor Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has asserted that Ghana is making some progress in the fight against illegal mining but continues to suffer devastating environmental and public health consequences.

He acknowledged the gains being made through the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) in formalising gold trading and improving the country's foreign exchange earnings.

However, he noted that the financial gains cannot be used as the sole measure of success in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews' Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 31, he said the government had made some efforts through the National Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Illegal Mining (NIMOS), particularly in removing illegal mining operators and undertaking reclamation exercises.

He also commended the government's move to repeal the legislative instrument that permitted mining in forest reserves, describing it as another positive step in addressing the menace.

However, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua said some of the government's claims about progress in the fight were not supported by sufficient evidence, while available environmental data presented a worrying picture.

"While GoldBod may be making some impact in terms of revenue positives and ensuring that the cedi is stabilised and so on, we can say we are winning the financial war in some respects, but we are losing the environmental war," he stated.

He cited figures from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which indicated that about 60 per cent of Ghana's water bodies were polluted.

According to him, the situation is further compounded by the high cost of treating polluted water, with Ghana Water Limited estimates indicating that up to 50 per cent of water could be lost during treatment, compared with the normal rate of about five per cent.

The professor also raised concerns about the potential health consequences of exposure to contaminants associated with illegal mining.

He referred to research involving more than 40,000 placental samples being analysed by researchers at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), as well as concerns about miscarriages and other health complications in communities affected by galamsey.