Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah at the Nkroful reclamation site
The government has intensified efforts to restore lands destroyed by illegal mining by recovering degraded forest reserves, abandoned mine pits and polluted landscapes through large-scale tree planting initiatives.
The latest intervention is taking place at Nkroful in the Western Region where 800 acres of mined-out land along the River Subri have been handed over to RM Ecorestore Ghana Limited for reclamation and reforestation works.
The project is sponsored by Zijin Golden Ridge Limited/Zijin Ghana, a large-scale mining company operating at Akyem, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts through an initiative spearheaded by the Sector Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
The Minister’s intervention is said to have saved the country millions of cedis that would otherwise have been spent on the project from the Consolidated Fund.
Under the project, thousands of Cassia and Teak seedlings are expected to be planted across the reclaimed land in an effort to restore the ecological health of the area and gradually return the land to productive use.
The government said the exercise is not only intended to reclaim degraded lands, but also create economic opportunities for residents in mining-affected communities through employment and long-term plantation development.
Nyankumase Project
The Nkroful project follows a similar exercise already underway at Nyankumase in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, where extensive tree planting activities have commenced on abandoned mining lands.
At Nyankumase, large portions of degraded land have already been replanted with Cassia and Teak seedlings as part of a long-term rehabilitation programme designed to improve soil quality and restore the area’s environmental balance.
Speaking to journalists after a brief ceremony to officially commence the reclamation works at Nkroful, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said the government remains committed to protecting the country’s lands, forests and water bodies from further destruction.
According to the Minister, the increasing destruction caused by illegal mining has made environmental restoration a major national priority that requires urgent and sustained intervention.
He noted that the Mahama administration is determined to reverse the damage caused by years of irresponsible mining activities, especially in forest reserves and farming communities.
Armah-Kofi Buah explained that initiatives such as the Tree for Life and Blue Water programmes are central to the government’s environmental sustainability agenda.
He said the interventions are intended to promote reforestation, restore polluted water bodies and encourage responsible land use practices in mining-prone areas.
The Minister further stressed that reclaiming abandoned mining pits has become necessary due to the dangerous environmental and health risks such sites pose to nearby communities.
Mr. Buah added that many of the degraded lands, once restored, could be converted into productive agricultural lands, forest plantations and other development-oriented projects capable of benefiting local residents.
He said the President remains deeply concerned about the rapid destruction of forest reserves and the contamination of major rivers caused by illegal mining activities in recent years.
He maintained that the ongoing reclamation projects are part of broader measures being rolled out to tackle galamsey while ensuring affected lands are not left permanently destroyed.
Mr. Buah assured that more degraded lands across the country would soon be reclaimed under similar programmes as the government intensifies efforts to restore the environment.
A Daily Guide Report