Mining banned in forest reserves

Ghana has banned mining in forest reserves as part of sweeping environmental protections aimed at safeguarding water bodies and halting deforestation, the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology said. According Channel Africa, industrial miners report frequent incursions by illegal operators onto concessions, forcing key operators like Gold Fields, AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont and Asante Gold to ramp up investments in security systems, surveillance drones and community engagement programmes. Illegal mining now spans 13 of Ghana’s 16 regions, including key cocoa belts in Ashanti, Western and Eastern, according to government data. Authorities have been overhauling the sector by licensing artisanal miners, creating community schemes, and deploying security to curb illegal mining and gold trading. The Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, introduced in 2022, allowed controlled mining in forest reserves. The repeal took effect last week after a 21-day constitutional period and will give the world’s second-largest cocoa producer stronger legal tools to protect forests, water sources and farmland, the Ministry said on Wednesday.