Prof. Seth Asiamah, a Land Economist with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has highlighted the severe challenges posed by the uncoordinated nature of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, in Ghana.
In an interview on ABC Morning on Monday, Prof. Asiamah emphasized that while reclamation of land affected by galamsey is technically possible, the financial burden associated with it is daunting.
“Reclamation is scientifically possible, but it is the expense that we will be able to go through to be able to do that,” he stated.
Prof. Asiamah further stressed the complications arising from the disorganized state of galamsey operations.
“And not only that, galamsey is so uncoordinated that even planning reclamation is not going to be easy,” he explained.
He warned of a potential crisis if prompt solutions are not found, as the environmental degradation caused by these mining activities is threatening vital water sources.
He pointed out that the encroachment of small-scale mining into forested areas is particularly detrimental.
“The biggest problem we have now is that small scale mining has entered into our forest,” Prof. Asiamah said.
He cautioned that the destruction of these forest areas, which are crucial for water bodies, could lead to a situation where the country faces severe water shortages.
“Soon we will not be complaining of the water colour anymore because there is no water,” he added.
