GoldBod, Lands Ministry to Drive Land Restoration in Mining Communities

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The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is set to collaborate with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to intensify land reclamation efforts in mining-affected areas nationwide.
Announcing the initiative in Parliament, Cassiel Ato Forson said the partnership is designed to promote responsible mining practices while bringing greater structure and transparency to Ghana’s gold trade.
According to him, the move forms part of GoldBod’s wider environmental sustainability agenda, which includes restoring degraded lands and ensuring long-term ecological balance in mining zones.
Under the plan, modern remediation methods and sustainable land-use strategies will be deployed to convert abandoned and damaged mining sites into viable agricultural lands, community-use areas, and rehabilitated natural ecosystems.
“The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ghana Gold Board will support and expand sustainability interventions such as land reclamation,” the Finance Minister stated.
Impact of Illegal Mining
Illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey, has left extensive environmental damage. More than 4,000 hectares of land have been degraded, while 34 forest reserves across seven regions have been adversely affected.
Key water bodies, including the Pra and Ankobra rivers, have recorded dangerous levels of mercury and cyanide contamination, surpassing World Health Organization safety standards. The destruction of forest cover in mining communities has also reduced carbon absorption capacity, worsening the country’s vulnerability to climate change.
Ongoing Government Response
The government has already introduced measures such as prohibiting mining activities in forest reserves and rolling out land rehabilitation programs. However, previous restoration efforts — including afforestation, phytoremediation, and biochar application — have delivered limited results due to funding gaps, weak enforcement of regulations, and insufficient community participation.
The renewed collaboration between GoldBod and the Lands Ministry is expected to address these challenges and scale up sustainable land restoration initiatives across affected regions.