Editorial: Ghana's Water Bodies Are Being Destroyed And The State Is Watching
Ghana's water bodies have been polluted by galamsey activity, with 60 percent affected as of September 2024. The Pra, Ankobra and Offin rivers now carry mercury, arsenic and lead at concentrations far above safety standards. In some mining areas, arsenic levels in the soil exceed safe limits by more than 4,000 percent. Ghana's Environmental Protection Authority described the situation in 2025 as an urgent public health emergency.
Galamsey is estimated to cost the nation more than $2.3 billion annually in lost revenue and smuggled gold. More than 100,000 acres of cocoa farmland have been destroyed. Water treatment costs have tripled in affected districts. Between 2008 and 2013, more than 50,000 Chinese nationals entered Ghana to mine gold illegally. President John Dramani Mahama stated that "our own people," spanning party affiliates, traditional authorities, and social networks, are embedded in the galamsey trade.
President Mahama's administration announced a national tracking system for more than 1,000 pieces of heavy mining equipment in January 2026, alongside a new medium-scale licensing category.
Quick Summary
Ghana's water bodies are being ravaged by illegal mining activities, with successive governments struggling to curb the menace - a situation that has persisted for years. The consequences of this environmental destruction are far-reaching, impacting communities, the economy, and the nation's future.
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