Ghanaian scientists have proposed a national stakeholders' dialogue to find a lasting solution to illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in the country. "We urge the government to convene a national dialogue that includes researchers, environmentalists, mining companies, traditional leaders, and civil society organisations to develop a sustainable solution to the illegal mining crisis. "The sector should be regularised to lessen its impact on the environment and human safety while also utilising its potential to alleviate poverty," a statement jointly issued by the Research Staff Association and Research Scientists Association of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), said.
The statement said research carried out by the two institutions had shown that illegal mining had caused extensive degradation to Ghana's natural environment, particularly affecting water bodies, forests, and agricultural lands. "Almost all our river systems, such as the Pra, Daboase, Ankobra, and Offin, just to name a few, have been heavily polluted with toxic substances, especially mercury, cadmium, lead and other potentially toxic elements," the two associations lamented.
This had rendered several water resources unusable for domestic purposes, affecting millions of Ghanaians who rely on them. "Recent studies reveal that over 60 per cent of water bodies in mining areas suffer from contamination due to illegal mining activities," the statement said.
The scientists expressed worry that large tracts of forested land had been destroyed to make way for galamsey activities, noting that this had led to the loss of biodiversity amounting to some 50,000 hectares of forest annually.