Ghana Bans Mining in Forest Reserves to Stem Widespread Environmental Damage

Ghana

The government of Ghana announced on Thursday that it has banned mining activities in all of the nation’s forest reserves, a dramatic policy shift aimed at halting the destruction of forests, rivers and farmland amid mounting ecological concerns. The repeal of regulations that had permitted mining in these protected areas took effect after a 21-day constitutional period, giving authorities stronger legal tools to defend fragile ecosystems.

The decision, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, responds to years of environmental degradation driven largely by poorly regulated small-scale mining. Known locally as galamsey, this artisanal mining has spread across 13 of Ghana’s 16 regions, including key agricultural zones in the Ashanti, Western and Eastern regions, where it has cleared forests, polluted waterways and damaged cocoa farms, a cornerstone of the national economy.

“Healthy forests bring rainfall, protect our farms and give life to our communities. Clean rivers secure our drinking water and our future,” Acting Environment Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah said in a statement, underscoring the government’s intent to curb a problem that has deepened over recent years.

The regulation repealed this week, known as the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation of 2022, had opened nearly 90% of the country’s forest reserves to controlled mining. Its removal restores longstanding protections for Ghana’s woodlands and signals a renewed commitment to conservation.

Environmental advocates welcomed the move but cautioned that legal prohibition alone may not be enough. “The repeal is a major shift in policy,” said Daryl Mensah-Bonsu, a director at Da Rocha Ghana, an environmental organization, “but enforcement and broader conservation efforts will be critical if forests are to recover and remain protected.”

Industrial mining companies, including global firms such as Gold Fields, AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont and Asante Gold, have also been contending with encroachments by illegal operators onto their concessions, prompting investments in surveillance drones, security and community engagement programs to protect their assets.

The campaign against mining in forest reserves forms part of a broader, years-long effort by the government to address galamsey, which has devastated large tracts of land and threatened water quality. President John Dramani Mahama has championed environmental regulation, deploying security forces to reclaim affected areas and pledging further legal reforms to strengthen protections for natural resources.

Ghana’s forests play a crucial role in the country’s economy and ecology, shaping rainfall patterns, sustaining biodiversity and supporting livelihoods. With deforestation having already claimed large swaths of reserves, some reports suggest nearly half of protected forests have been degraded by illegal extraction. The ban represents a carefully watched test of whether policy can bend the arc toward restoration and sustainable land management.

As enforcement begins, the government will face the challenge of balancing economic pressures with environmental priorities, particularly in rural communities where mining remains a source of income. Officials and conservationists alike view the ban as a necessary step toward ensuring that Ghana’s natural heritage can endure for future generations.