Civil Society Organizations, including the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM), the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), and the Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis (CEIA), have raised serious concerns about the destruction caused by illegal and surface mining activities in Ghana.
They argue that, weak mining regulations, particularly the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), have allowed for reckless mining practices to thrive.
The groups point to illegal mining, or “galamsey,” as a major threat, causing severe damage to Ghana’s natural resources.
They believe current mining laws are inadequate in holding companies accountable for environmental breaches, such as cyanide spills, which jeopardize public health and ecosystems.
A key issue raised by the civil society groups is the unfair compensation given to farmers whose lands are taken for mining. Multinational companies, they claim, offer minimal compensation to impoverished farmers, leaving them economically and physically displaced.
The groups attribute this shift to weak enforcement of mining regulations, which has turned struggling farmers into desperate miners, perpetuating poverty in mining communities.
To combat these challenges, the organizations have proposed several measures.
These include adopting a non-partisan approach to combat surface mining, imposing a moratorium on the issuance of mining licenses across all categories, and organizing joint citizen-led actions involving various societal groups, such as the clergy, workers, traditional leaders, and the media, to hold the government accountable for tackling mining-related issues, including galamsey.
Additionally, they call for a comprehensive review of mining laws to include stronger environmental protections.
Source: Adomonline
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