The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has called on students and young professionals to take a leading role in the fight against illegal mining, warning that the destruction of Ghana's forests and pollution of its rivers have reached alarming levels.
He says nearly 9,000 hectares of forest cover have been destroyed, an area equivalent to about 12,500 football fields, with devastating consequences for the country's water resources and environmental security.
Speaking at a seminar organised by students of the Geological Engineering Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Minister said the fight against illegal mining could no longer be left to government and law enforcement agencies alone.
"Today, I can tell you that this issue of illegal mining must be our collective responsibility," he told the students, adding that the younger generation must take ownership of efforts to protect the environment.
"Out of Ghana's 288 forest reserves, about 50 have been severely impacted by illegal mining activities.
Just think about one football field and look at 12,500 football fields completely gone.
This is forest that is giving us air, water," he said.
The Minister warned that the destruction threatens critical ecological systems, particularly water sources, with nearly 60 per cent of the country's water supply linked to forest reserves.
He also raised concerns about the extent of pollution in major rivers, including the Pra, Offin, Birim and Ankobra, particularly in the Western and Western North regions.
"Turbidity levels in some affected water bodies range between 5,000 and 12,000, compared with the acceptable range of zero to 500, making the treatment of water for safe consumption increasingly difficult.
This is seriously a crisis," he stressed.
Mr Kofi Buah also outlined proposed reforms to Ghana's mining regulatory....
