The role of key public security agencies in combating galamsey

Ghana faces a significant environmental and security challenge with the illegal mining practice known as galamsey. To effectively address this crisis, collaboration across multiple sectors is required, including public security agencies like the Ghana Navy, the Ghana Maritime Authority, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Each of these bodies can contribute strategically to the fight against galamsey through their specialized roles and mandates.

Ghana Navy Securing Waterways and River Bodies

The Ghana Navy has a crucial role to play in protecting the nation’s water bodies, which have been severely polluted by galamsey operations. Illegal miners often access remote mining sites via rivers, and galamsey activities cause the contamination of major water bodies like the Pra and Birim rivers. The Ghana Navy can help by:

Patrolling Rivers and Lakes: Deploying naval units along rivers and lakes to prevent illegal miners from accessing water bodies. Constant patrols can limit galamsey operations and stop the transport of illegal mining equipment via

Waterways

Preventing Water Pollution: Working closely with environmental agencies to monitor and intercept harmful chemicals used in illegal mining (such as mercury), thus protecting aquatic ecosystems and ensuring safer drinking water for communities downstream.

Collaborating with Local Communities: Partnering with affected communities to identify areas where illegal mining is rampant and provide intelligence for targeted operations.

Ghana Maritime Authority: Monitoring and Controlling Access to Coastal and Inland Waters

The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is responsible for overseeing maritime activities along the coast and major inland waters. While its primary mandate involves shipping and port activities, it can contribute to galamsey redress by:

Controlling the Use of Waterways for Illegal Activities: Ensuring that no unregistered boats or vessels are used to transport illegal mining equipment. By controlling access to waterways, the GMA can prevent galamsey operators from moving equipment across rivers.

Coordinating with Other Agencies: Working with the Ghana Navy and law enforcement agencies to detect and report illegal activity. The GMA’s monitoring systems can be integrated into a broader surveillance strategy to tackle illegal mining activities on rivers and coasts.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Enforcing Environmental Regulations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to protect Ghana’s environment by enforcing regulations that promote sustainable use of natural resources.

In addressing the galamsey crisis, the EPA can apply stricter penalties on companies and individuals who engage in illegal mining without proper environmental safeguards. By auditing mining activities and ensuring that operations are environmentally compliant, the EPA can reduce the ecological damage caused by galamsey.

Environmental Impact Assessments: Require comprehensive environmental impact assessments (EIAs) before any mining activity is allowed. These assessments can help identify the potential risks to ecosystems and communities, allowing for better regulation of mining practices.

Promoting Rehabilitation of Mined Lands: The EPA can coordinate land restoration projects, including reforestation and river rehabilitation, to reverse the damage caused by illegal mining. Partnering with local communities in reforestation initiatives can help restore biodiversity and make mined lands usable again.

Cross-Agency Collaboration For effective redress of galamsey, these agencies must work collaboratively. The Ghana Navy, GMA, and EPA must synchronize their efforts by sharing intelligence, conducting joint operations, and supporting each other’s mandates:

Inter-Agency Task Forces: The creation of special task forces that include personnel from the Navy, EPA, and other security agencies can help crack down on illegal mining operations by utilizing advanced technology like drones and satellite imagery, these agencies can jointly monitor mining hotspots and take action where illegal activities are detected.

Legislative Support and Accountability

To maximize the impact of these agencies, there must be strong legislative backing. Parliament must ensure that laws such as the Minerals and Mining Act and environmental protection laws are strictly enforced. Additionally, the Speaker of Parliament has emphasized that the legislative body itself must hold certain members accountable for alleged involvement in illegal mining, ensuring that lawmakers are not complicit in undermining anti-galamsey efforts.

In conclusion, the fight against galamsey requires a unified effort across various public security agencies.

The Ghana Navy, Ghana Maritime Authority, and the EPA each play unique and vital roles in protecting Ghana’s environment and natural resources. Together, they can help bring about sustainable solutions to illegal mining, safeguarding the country’s future for generations to come.

The author is a Security Consultant.