The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) has proposed a series of concrete measures to combat the persistent scourge of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, which continues to devastate the country’s forests, river bodies, and biodiversity systems.
This development follows years of unchecked, unregulated mining that has wreaked ecological and economic havoc across the nation. Despite successive governments spending millions of cedis on anti-galamsey initiatives, the problem persists, with little to show in terms of tangible results.
As Ghana’s foremost body of academics and researchers, GAAS has taken several steps to galvanise national attention toward the menace. These include policy conferences, symposia, public lectures, and nationwide civic education, aimed at harnessing stakeholder input to develop a workable, long-term strategy to address both the ecological and economic ramifications of galamsey.
In a press release dated June 18, GAAS outlined a number of recommendations it believes will enable leaders—from the community level to the highest offices of the land—to better address the crisis.
“The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences strongly opposes the lax attitude of the government in repealing the obnoxious Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, passed by Parliament. This legislation usurps the powers of regulatory bodies in the natural resources sector and grants the President sole authority to issue mining leases in protected biodiversity areas,” the statement read.
The Academy called for an immediate repeal of LI 2462, describing it as “counterproductive to the nation’s collective fight against galamsey.” It warned against the increasing tendency to treat forest reserves as “mines-in-waiting,” where licences are handed out at will to individuals prioritising profit over environmental sustainability.
Further, GAAS raised concerns about the inconsistent enforcement of mining regulations by public officials, arguing that retaining LI 2462 under current circumstances would be disastrous.
“Over the years, our public officials have demonstrated a lack of discipline and consistency in enforcing mining laws. It would be suicidal for both the Academy and all concerned stakeholders to remain passive while LI 2462 adds to the chaos already plaguing the sector,” the statement continued.
The Academy therefore urged an urgent review and repeal of the legislative instrument, along with the issuance of a binding presidential directive that halts all mining and exploration activities within Ghana’s vital biodiversity zones.
It cautioned that continued exploitation of these protected reserves would not only constitute a gross violation of the terms of the Paris Agreement—to which Ghana is a signatory—but would also breach other international environmental treaties.
In conclusion, GAAS issued a passionate appeal to Ghana’s leadership: “Let us not be the generation remembered for trading the time-tested dignity of Ghana on the altar of economic expediency.”
The full details of the release from the GAAS is captured below:
