Stakeholders in the extractive sector have renewed calls for sustainable mining practices and increased socio-economic benefits for mining communities across northern Ghana, warning that current mining activities pose serious threats to livelihoods, food security and the future of children.
They said that while mineral resources remained important national assets, unsustainable mining practices in the five regions of northern Ghana were undermining agriculture, polluting water bodies and deepening social challenges in already fragile communities.
Dr Chrys Anab, the Executive Director of TAMA Foundation Universal, raised the concerns at a two-day capacity building workshop at Bolgatanga that brought together participants from mining communities, civil society organisations, government institutions and district assemblies from the five northern regions.
The workshop on “Community Monitoring and Reporting of Mining Infractions” was organised by TAMA Foundation Universal, a civil society organisation, under the Natural Resource Accountability in Northern Ghana (NaRAING) Project.
The training, which seeks to strengthen community-led accountability and early warning systems in mining-affected areas, also aimed to strengthen the capacity of community action groups, paralegals, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, and regulatory actors to effectively identify, document, and report mining infractions, while promoting constructive engagement with duty bearers.
Dr Anab said northern Ghana was predominantly agrarian, and mining activities were increasingly encroaching on farmlands and water bodies, threatening food security and livelihoods.
“Northern Ghana depends largely on agriculture, but mining concessions are taking away farmlands and polluting water sources”, he said.
He said a recent study by his organisation and the Water Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-WRI) showed the presence of heavy metals such as mercury and cyanide in water samples along the White Volta, which had serious health implications.
Dr Anab stressed that TAMA Foundation was not opposed to mining but advocated sustainable mining that complemented agriculture and delivered tangible benefits to host communities.
“We believe agriculture remains the most suitable sector for northern Ghana, considering its fragile ecology and short rainfall period. Mining, if done sustainably, can complement agriculture, but not in the chaotic manner we currently see across mining districts,” he said.
He called on regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Authority, Minerals Commission, Water Resources Commission and Forestry Commission, to strengthen enforcement of existing laws and ensure compliance by mining companies.
Dr Anab commended the government for the repeal of the Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which banned mining in forest reserves, describing it as a positive step, though not a complete solution to the challenges in the sector.
“If this law is complemented with strong enforcement, technology deployment and skills transfer to local communities, mining can become a blessing rather than a curse,” he said.
He further urged the government to prioritise alternative livelihood programmes for youth in mining communities through skills training, access to start-up support and linkages to decent employment opportunities to reduce dependence on illegal mining.
The workshop was aimed at strengthening the capacity of community paralegal groups and stakeholders to better understand mining-related challenges, engage duty bearers and develop district-level action plans to promote environmental protection and community benefits, he said.
Participants also appealed to regulatory agencies to make environmental impact assessment reports publicly accessible and called on the media and traditional authorities to work closely with civil society to address conflicts and ensure mining resources contributed to peaceful and resilient communities.
Mr Nyeya Yen, the Chairman of the Savannah Research and Advocacy Network, noted that beyond environmental damage, mining was contributing to worsening social problems, particularly child labour and school dropouts, as children of school-going age were increasingly found at mining sites instead of classrooms.
He described child involvement in mining as one of the worst forms of child labour, exposing children to hazardous chemicals and unsafe working conditions, and called for coordinated action by parents, government institutions and local authorities to address the challenge.
Nab Mwarebilsong Naneeteng, the Chief of Gaare, commended TAMA Foundation and its partners for the training, stressing that the workshop had empowered him as a traditional leader to advocate for sustainable mining practices and demand more benefits for the communities.
