The Ghanaian parliament late Thursday revoked the regulation that allowed for mining in forest reserves as part of efforts to curtail the environmental carnage caused by illegal mining.
The house passed the new law after waiting the required 21 days, which completely revoked the old Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (LI 2462) and its amendment LI 2501 that had allowed the president to give out mining permits in protected forest areas.
The repeal of the existing law renders mining in Ghana’s forest reserves illegal, bolsters the state’s ability to combat the issue, and establishes a legal foundation for the prosecution and punishment of violators.
In a statement, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Acting Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, pledged to oversee the implementation of the new regulation with discipline and fairness, working with all Ghanaians “to keep our forests standing and rivers clean.”
“The meaning of this milestone is simple: healthy forests bring rainfall, protect our farms, and give life to our communities. Clean rivers secure our drinking water and our future. By allowing this instrument to mature, we have chosen a path that protects every Ghanaian,” Buah noted.
Illegal mining has been one of Ghana’s most pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges, blamed for widespread water pollution, deforestation, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss.
By Judah Adjei Mensah