Saving our water, securing our future: Tackling galamsey for greener Ghana

Ghana’s battle against illegal small-scale mining, colloquially known as galamsey, has intensified over the years, as this rampant activity has wreaked havoc on the nation’s precious water bodies and ecosystems.

Galamsey, while providing immediate economic benefits to many impoverished communities, poses a grave threat to the environment and public health. The practice, driven by unregulated mining for gold, is a significant impediment to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). These global goals underscore the importance of conserving water resources, protecting terrestrial ecosystems and promoting the sustainable use of natural assets.

The increasing pollution of rivers, streams and groundwater due to galamsey is alarming. Many water bodies that once served as sources of drinking water and irrigation for farming communities have been rendered unfit for consumption or agricultural purposes.

The resulting environmental degradation not only hinders the achievement of the SDGs but also threatens long-term socio-economic development in Ghana.

The ecological impact of galamsey is far-reaching, disrupting aquatic and terrestrial life, as well as biodiversity in general. The discharge of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium from mining sites into rivers and soils is particularly hazardous.

These toxic substances infiltrate the food chain, affecting both flora and fauna and eventually end up in human bodies through the consumption of contaminated water and food.

Aquatic ecosystems have been severely compromised by galamsey activities. The dredging and damming of rivers, coupled with the release of chemical-laden waste into water bodies, lead to the destruction of fish habitats and a sharp decline in fish populations.

This not only reduces biodiversity but also threatens the livelihoods of local fishing communities. The destruction of vegetative cover along riverbanks further exacerbates soil erosion, reducing land fertility and destabilising riverbanks.

Heavy metals in water

Heavy metals introduced into water bodies through illegal mining pose severe health risks. Mercury, as mentioned earlier, causes neurological and cognitive disorders, while cadmium exposure is linked to kidney failure and skeletal damage.

Lead contamination, which has been detected in some mining regions, is known to impair brain development in children, reduce fertility in adults and cause hypertension.

Arsenic, another contaminant associated with mining, is highly carcinogenic and can lead to skin, lung and bladder cancers.
Prolonged exposure to these metals through drinking water and food poses significant long-term health hazards to communities living near mining sites.

Recommendations

While galamsey poses a critical threat to Ghana’s environment, outright banning the practice without providing alternative livelihoods may worsen the socioeconomic conditions of those involved.

Therefore, it is essential to strike a balance that promotes responsible mining practices while safeguarding the ecosystem. Recommendations for mitigating the impact of galamsey include:

• The Ghana Government can implement bioremediation to detoxify water bodies. This process involves using microorganisms or plants to break down or absorb heavy metals, thereby restoring the water to a cleaner state. Phytoremediation, a subset of this, uses plants like water hyacinth and vetiver grass, which absorb pollutants from water. Ghana could rapidly deploy these plant species along riverbanks and polluted water bodies to extract toxic metals and improve water quality over time.

• Additionally, reverse osmosis water treatment technology can be employed to combat water pollution. This could provide an immediate solution in affected communities. Reverse osmosis systems effectively remove heavy metals, arsenic and other toxic substances from polluted water, providing clean drinking water in areas heavily impacted by galamsey. In the short term, the government could partner with private companies or international agencies to install mobile water treatment units that use this technology in the most affected areas.

• Communities dependent on galamsey should be empowered with skills training in areas such as agriculture, aquaculture and eco-tourism. These alternatives can provide sustainable sources of income without depleting natural resources.

• Finally, there should be effective awareness campaigns through the Environmental Protection Agency. This can educate the public about the harmful effects of galamsey on water quality and human health, creating a groundswell of support for eco-friendly mining practices.

In synopsis, by regulating galamsey through formalisation, promoting alternative livelihoods and implementing eco-friendly mining practices, Ghana can protect its environment while ensuring that those engaged in small-scale mining are not deprived of economic opportunities.

The writer is a Ph.D. Candidate,
Department of Geography and Regional Planning,
University of Cape Coast.
E-mail: isaac.aninakwah001@stu.ucc.edu.gh