A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has called for urgent government action to protect the Atiwa Range Forest Reserve from what it describes as a growing threat from illegal mining.
The coalition, made up of A Rocha Ghana, Eco Conscious Citizens and Concerned Citizens of Atiwa Landscape, said illegal mining activities are increasingly damaging parts of the forest and putting its future at risk.
In a statement issued on September 14, 2026, the groups said their review of court records, Forestry Commission documents, operational reports and information gathered from the forest showed serious weaknesses in efforts to protect the reserve.
The coalition warned that losing Atiwa would have consequences beyond environmental destruction. It said the forest plays an important role in supplying water to more than five million Ghanaians and is also important to Ghana’s climate commitments, biodiversity and the cultural heritage of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.
The forest, which was gazetted in 1926, covers about 26,300 hectares and contains the headwaters of the Ayensu, Densu and Birim rivers.
It is also home to hundreds of plant and animal species, including several species considered globally threatened.
The groups said illegal mining has resulted in excavated pits, destruction of forest cover, polluted streams and the presence of abandoned mining equipment.
They also raised concerns about repeated arrests and court delays involving suspected illegal miners. According to the coalition, some operations have resulted in arrests and the seizure of mining equipment, weapons and other items, which it said points to an organised and entrenched illegal mining network.
The coalition is therefore demanding that the government immediately declare Atiwa a National Park and halt plans for bauxite mining in the reserve.
It also wants a permanent security task force deployed to protect the forest, stronger support for the Forestry Commission, faster prosecution of illegal mining cases and investigations into officials suspected of helping miners.
The groups further called for greater support for local communities and traditional authorities, as well as investment in tourism and other sustainable economic activities around Atiwa.
The coalition said decisive action is needed now to prevent the forest from reaching a point where its destruction cannot be reversed.
