Ghana’s Mining Crisis: CSOs Call for Collective Action Against Devastating Effects

Three civil society organisations (CSOs) have called for a collective action against the devastating effects of surface mining including illegal mining (galamsey).

The three CSOs – Wacam, the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), and the Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis (CEIA) – noted that such an action must involve the clergy, churches, workers, market women and men, media, traditional authorities etc., who should hold governments to commitments to fight all forms of surface mining issues including galamsey.

A joint statement signed by the Executive Directors: Mr. Augustine Niber of CEPIL, Dr. Samuel Obiri of CEIA, and Mr. Kwaku Afari, Technical Director of Wacam, highlighted the devastating impact of Ghana’s current mining boom, known as the “Third Jungle Boom.”

According to the groups, this large-scale mining (third jungle boom) has led to widespread destruction of indigenous communities’ lands, whose primary livelihood is farming.

As a result, many farmers have been forced to abandon their farms and engage in illicit mining, exposing them to hazardous chemicals like cyanide, it added.

To further address the issues, Wacam, CEIA and CEPIL proposed a non-partisan approach and an immediate moratorium on mining licences to cover all categories of mining.

The statement indicated that Wacam, CEIA, and CEPIL have been vocal about the dangers of mining in forest reserves since 2002, specifically highlighting the devastating effects of mine wastewater on forests and waterbodies that serve as drinking water sources for communities.

“The consequences of such actions are dire, as seen in the case of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, which discharged massive amounts of mine waste into River Subri on two separate occasions: December 26, 2010, and December 20-24, 2011. River Subri, which flows from Bono and Ahafo regions to the Western Region, is a vital source of drinking water for millions of Ghanaians,” it recounted.

The CSOs identified key challenges facing the mining sector, including weak laws and their ineffective enforcement, as well as a lack of political will among governments to make tough decisions to address mining problems.

This lack of political will is often due to connections between miners and political parties, among other factors, the statement noted.

“It is a common attitude of Governments in power as well as most Ghanaians including regulators to adopt the tactics of scratching the surface of the mining problems without taking strong measures to address the root causes of surface mining because most of the beneficiaries of the galamsey operations have political connections,” it stated.

“Mining in forest reserves constitutes an insult to the dignity of our nation for anybody who would allow local or foreign company to mine in forest reserves. With the local and foreign increase in the consumption of chocolates and other confectionary products, the prize of cocoa is increasing at a very alarming rate and this is the time that we are destroying our cocoa trees for surface mining,” it asserted.

To this end, Wacam, CEIA and CEPIL emphasised the urgent need for a comprehensive review of laws and regulations governing mining operations.

This review, the statement added, should prioritise the integration of robust environmental safeguards to prevent ecological damage and ensure sustainable practices.