The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference is calling for urgent national action as illegal mining continues to ravage the country’s forests and water bodies.
In a strongly worded communiqué issued at the end of its Annual Plenary Assembly in Damongo, the Conference urged the government to declare a state of emergency in areas hardest hit by galamsey.
The Bishops described the situation as “a profound moral crisis and a spiritual challenge” that demands immediate intervention from President John Dramani Mahama and state authorities.
The Conference revealed alarming figures: over 5,252 hectares of forest reserves destroyed in 2025 alone, and 44 out of 288 forest reserves now classified as degraded. They added that 75 per cent of Ghana’s rivers are polluted, mainly due to mercury and cyanide from illegal mining activities.
The communiqué emphasised that “creation is not a resource to be exploited” but a covenant that must be protected.
While acknowledging initiatives such as the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, the GCBC said current government efforts remain inadequate. They are calling for stricter and impartial prosecution of offenders, regardless of their political affiliation, as well as the full reclamation of damaged lands and transparent national reporting on water quality, forest cover, and food safety.
The Bishops also commended chiefs and queen mothers who have taken strong stands against galamsey, urging other traditional leaders and citizens to join in efforts to, as they put it, “sanitise and heal” the nation’s land and rivers.
Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
