Galamsey: Arise Ghana demands stronger action to protect Ghana’s water bodies

Civil society organisation Arise Ghana has called for a stronger and sustained government commitment to tackling illegal mining, warning that galamsey continues to threaten Ghana's water bodies.

A leading member of the group, Selorm Dramani Dzramado, said the government must treat the fight against illegal mining as a priority rather than pursue what he described as a piecemeal approach.

He was speaking at a media engagement on the state of Ghana's agricultural sector.

“Some group of people cannot continue to make money at the expense of our health,” Mr Dzramado said.

He urged the government to demonstrate a “total commitment” to ending illegal mining, which he said should not be allowed to continue at the expense of the country's health and environment.

Pressure over galamsey

Arise Ghana said it would continue to put pressure on the government until the illegal mining problem was brought under control.

Illegal mining has been a longstanding concern in Ghana, particularly because of its impact on water bodies and the wider environment.

In his remarks, however, Mr Dzramado did not provide specific data showing the current extent of pollution or identify particular water bodies affected by illegal mining.

The group is therefore calling for sustained action rather than short-term interventions.

Call for legislation

Mr Dzramado also called for legislation to support reforms being implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

He said an independent assessment by Arise Ghana indicated that the ministry's policies were producing positive results, but argued that legislative backing was needed to ensure the reforms continued beyond individual government initiatives.

The call comes as the organisation links environmental protection with the wider challenges facing Ghana's agricultural sector.

Galamsey can affect agricultural communities by putting pressure on land and water resources, but the source material does not provide figures on the economic impact of illegal mining on farmers or agricultural production.

Arise Ghana said it would continue monitoring developments and pressing the government to strengthen its response.

For the government, the challenge will be to demonstrate that measures against illegal mining can be sustained and produce measurable improvements in the country's water and agricultural resources.