Ban galamsey, if you do that the water bodies will recover – Dir of CSIR

Acting Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Professor Yaw Osei Atweneboamah, has told the government to ban all forms of small-scale mining activities as part of an effort to restore the water bodies and the forests.

He says the water bodies will recover on their own once there are no actives of galamsney in them for quite a time.

“Ban galamsey, if you do that the water bodies will recover, ” he said while speaking during the thought leadership forum on the theme “Galamsey Fight: Beyond the talk, what next?” organized by Media General in Accra on Wednesday, September 25.

For his part, the Director of the Nature and Development Foundation, Mustapha Seidu called for the abolishment of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2462) which permits mining in forest reserves.

The Foundation describes the law as a bad law because it flouts all the policies and agreements signed for a green environment.

He said, “There is a legal regime in mining in first reserve, it is an infamous law because it is a bad law.”

He further noted that there was an “unprecedented mud rush for leases to mine in first reserves following the passage of that law. It is a reversal of all our international commitment for sustainable forest management, for climate change for policies to ensure that we have a green environment.”

The Foundation is not the only body calling for the repeal of this law.

An earlier joint statement released by the Research Staff Association at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Research Scientists Association at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) is calling for an immediate recall of Parliament to repeal

The scientists say if Members of Parliament can be recalled to grant tax exemptions for companies they believe bring substantial investments, they should act with similar urgency to address the galamsey crisis.

“This issue 9galamsey) is a ticking time bomb, threatening to derail all the economic gains and investments made by the nation, and thus immediate action is needed, the statement said.

They have also demanded an immediate suspension of all illegal small-scale mining activities in Ghana until there is Support for Sustainable Mining Practices.

“We call on the government to immediately suspend all illegal small-scale mining activities in the country for a period not less than one
year during which the government invests in promoting sustainable, eco-friendly mining practices by providing technical and financial support to small-scale miners.

“This will help formalize the sector and reduce the reliance on destructive mining methods thereafter. Just as the sea is closed for a month each year to allow for a bumper harvest when it reopens, this, in our considered view, would be tackling the galamsey menace with the urgency it requires. The current state of our water bodies demands vigorous action, as the consequences of illegal mining, if left unchecked, will be disastrous for the nation’s environmental and public health.”

They noted that Galamsey poses an existential threat to Ghana’s environment, public health, and economy. The time for rhetoric has passed; urgent and sustained action is needed now, they said.

The statement indicated potentially toxic elements such as cadmium, arsenic, chromium and lead are associated with cancer and non-cancerous diseases.

“The activities of galamsey operations contribute to the environmental factors that lead to Ghana recording over 24,000 cancer cases annually. For example, arsenic may be associated with Buruli ulcer.

“Further, communities near mining sites suffer from increased incidences of respiratory diseases, skin conditions, and other health issues due to exposure to hazardous chemicals,” they said.

They further stated that they are committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to formulate policies, reclaim and restore our lands, forests, and water resources, and help restructure the entire value chain of small-scale mining in the country.

“We therefore call on the government and other stakeholders to collaborate through funding of research activities to find lasting solutions to the unsustainable mining practices.”