Protecting water resources, stabilising degraded land and restoring biodiversity are central priorities of a GH¢35 million reclamation project being undertaken by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) at the Tano Nimri Forest Reserve.
The initiative is targeting 60 hectares of severely degraded land in Compartment 161 of the reserve, where illegal mining activities contributed to the destruction of approximately 192.4 hectares of woodland between 2021 and 2024.
The destruction left behind deep mining pits, disturbed soils and a damaged landscape, creating challenges for ecological recovery and increasing the need for effective land and water management.
Samuel Danso, Sustainability Manager, said the scale of the damage, particularly following a major illegal mining invasion in 2022, had seriously compromised biodiversity and timber concessions previously managed by Samatex Timber Company.
As part of the reclamation exercise, GoldBod is working with the Ghana Armed Forces Engineer Regiment to rehabilitate the affected landscape and prepare it for reforestation.
The engineering works include backfilling dangerous mining pits, blending mud with dry soil to stabilise the terrain and constructing controlled drainage channels.
The drainage infrastructure is designed to manage runoff and reduce the risk of silt entering the Tano River. The interventions are therefore intended to support safer land conditions while helping protect the surrounding environment during the reclamation process. Read Also: Ghanaian Naturopathic Scholar Called to Ghana Bar, first Naturopath to Become Lawyer in Two Jurisdictions in Africa
The project has also reached the landscape preparation stage, with grading and levelling works aimed at reducing future soil erosion and creating suitable conditions for vegetation to return.
Once the engineering phase is completed, the reclaimed 60-hectare site is expected to be handed over to the Forestry Commission for tree planting and the regeneration of indigenous plant species.
The planned reforestation phase will be an important step towards rebuilding the forest canopy and restoring ecological functions in an area affected by illegal mining.
Although the reclamation works cover 60 hectares, the wider scale of the reported destruction underscores the continuing challenge of rehabilitating forest reserves affected by ‘galamsey’.
GoldBod says its intervention demonstrates the importance of pairing natural-resource management with practical measures to repair environmental damage.
The Board has reiterated its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote environmental sustainability, protect natural resources and contribute to a future in which economic progress does not come at the expense of Ghana’s ecological heritage. https://theexclusiveonline.com/
