Illegal mining activities, popularly referred to as galamsey, continue to cause extensive damage to the environment and water bodies in the country.
Despite efforts by the previous government, the activities are still prevalent, igniting conversations on the need for a state of emergency to be declared on illegal mining and a ban on these activities.
Speaking during a recent interview on Joy News, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, stated that Ghana has lost nearly half of its forest reserves due to illegal mining activities, while stressing the need for urgent attention to combat the menace.
He stated that 44 per cent of Ghana's 288 forest reserves have already been destroyed largely due to illegal mining and logging activities. "I stood in Parliament and said, 'we are in a crisis.' It's not a political point, it's a national alarm.
