President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s recent statement at UNFCCC COP 29 in Baku, where he declared Ghana has restored 721,000 hectares of forest since 2017, demands critical scrutiny. While forest restoration is a pertinent goal, this claim starkly contrasts with the government’s active supervision, culpability and record of inaction resulting in an unprecedented escalation of illegal and irresponsible mining across the entire country that has left forest, agricultural lands, rivers and water bodies destroyed.
The President’s announcement fails to align with the stark realities on the ground. While we were supposedly planting trees, we simultaneously and actively pursued policies and legislation that facilitated the destruction of natural forests, undermining Ghana’s hard-earned reputation and progress in sustainable forest management over the past two decades.
A glaring example is Ghana’s contradictory actions in 2022 and thereafter. That year, the country joined the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership, committing to protect forests and communities. Yet, in the very same year, the government working with a hung parliament of the NPP and NDC passed Regulation L.I. 2462, which opened Ghana’s protected forests to mining activities. This period has also seen an unprecedented wave of mining leases that risk converting production and protected forests into sprawling mine pits. Again, illegal and irresponsible mining has significantly undermined Ghana’s credibility as a member of the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership. Ghana’s direct actions or omissions have failed to uphold commitments outlined by the partnership, contradicting its leadership in forest conservation and climate action.
Instead of genuine restoration, our lived reality has been staggeringly devastating. Over 48,000 hectares of gazetted forest reserves are earmarked for conversion to mining areas and 4800 hectares already destroyed by Ghana’s irresponsible mining pursuit. So far, not less than, 35 forest reserves have been severely impacted by the activities of illegal miners. Altogether, the ecological integrity of over 350,000 hectares of forests will be severely compromised as a result.
