By Valentia Tetteh
The Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has outlined a strategy to combat the environmental devastation caused by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. Dubbed the Blue Water Initiative, it will be a program aimed at rehabilitating polluted waterbodies and transforming degraded areas into hubs of ecological and economic renewal.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, January 27, 2025, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah emphasized the urgency of addressing the damage caused by galamsey to Ghana’s rivers, streams, and forests.
“We have some initiatives that will help us heal the wounds of our country, our forest, which is the heart of our survival, has been completely damaged and devastated. The Blue Water Initiative seeks to heal and harness the areas degraded by illegal mining into hubs of economic and ecological recovery.”
The impact of galamsey has been severe, with waterbodies polluted by mercury and other harmful chemicals used in illegal mining operations. These once-pristine rivers and streams, crucial to the livelihoods of rural and urban communities, have become toxic and unusable.
To complement the Blue Water Initiative, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah also announced the Tree for Life Initiative, which will focus on large-scale afforestation and reforestation efforts to restore Ghana’s forest cover.
“We are also going to do Tree for Life Initiative by intensifying afforestation, and we will encourage afforestation across Ghana,” he added.
