By Regina Kwapong
The Catholic Archdiocese of Accra in partnership with the Conference of Major Superiors has announced its intention to embark on an environmental prayer walk on Friday, October 11, 2024.
The walk which was announced in a recent press conference seeks to raise awareness about the adverse effects of galamsey on the environment and also to deepen the advocacy towards the declaration of a state of emergency in order to halt all mining activities in the country.
Addressing the media at the press conference, Rev. Father Nicholas Aazine highlighted that the issues surrounding the illegal mining menace travels beyond small-scale or community mining and has become a national canker.
He added that the devastating effects include the destruction of water bodies, forests, and farmlands, leading to the pollution of rivers and water sources. This rampant degradation has resulted in the loss of biodiversity, ecosystem devastation, health risks for communities and miners, economic damages, and social unrest.
further stated that, the detrimental impact on our natural resources is not only caused by illegal mining practices commonly referred to as galamsey but also by certain legal mining companies operating unlawfully.
