By Magdalene Andoh
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is partnering with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to strengthen land reclamation efforts in mining areas across the country.
Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson announced that the partnership aims to promote sustainable mining practices and formalise Ghana’s gold business sector.
The initiative forms part of GoldBod’s broader commitment to environmental stewardship, including the restoration of several hectares of degraded land.
The programme will employ advanced environmental remediation techniques and sustainable land-use planning to transform abandoned mining sites into productive agricultural land, community spaces, and restored natural habitats.
“The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ghana Gold Board shall support and scale up sustainability initiatives such as land reclamation,” he told Parliament.
Illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, has severely degraded more than 4,000 hectares of land, including 34 forest reserves across seven regions.
Recent government actions, including banning mining in forest reserves and launching rehabilitation initiatives, form part of efforts to protect the country’s lands.
Empirical findings indicate that major rivers, including the Pra River and Ankobra River, are heavily polluted with mercury and cyanide, exceeding World Health Organization safety limits.
Deforestation in mining zones has significantly reduced carbon sequestration, contributing to climate vulnerability. Restoration strategies, such as afforestation, biochar application, and phytoremediation, have had mixed success due to weak policy enforcement, financial constraints, and low community engagement.
