Kumasi, March 10, – Adopting responsible and environmentally sustainable mining practices is essential to Ghana’s efforts to combat illegal mining, Mr Erastus Asare Donkor, an environmental journalist, has said.
He stressed that strict enforcement of mining regulations and environmental laws remained a critical step in protecting the country’s forests and water bodies from the destructive effects of unregulated mining activities.
Mr Asare Donkor called for intensified supervision of mining operations to ensure that operators complied with environmental standards and legal requirements governing the sector.
He noted that stakeholders, together with the government, were strengthening campaigns to transition miners from illegal operations to safer and regulated practices through the involvement of key regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other relevant institutions.
According to him, these efforts were aimed at safeguarding lives, conserving natural resources and promoting sustainable community development.
Mr Asare Donkor observed that illegal mining had caused significant pollution of major rivers and extensive destruction of forest reserves and farmlands across the country.
The situation, he said, posed serious risks to water security, biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities that depended on these natural resources.
He added that the degradation of water bodies had, in some instances, complicated water treatment processes and increased the cost of supplying potable water to affected communities.
Mr Asare Donkor further highlighted the importance of strengthening public education and providing alternative livelihood opportunities, particularly for young people in mining communities, to reduce the appeal of illegal mining.
He emphasised the need for sustained collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations and local communities to ensure that mining activities contributed to national development without compromising environmental sustainability.
He said properly regulated mining could generate employment, boost local economies and support land restoration while safeguarding Ghana’s natural resources for future generations.
GHBUSS
10 March 2026
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