Photo: Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi; Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh C. A. Brown; and Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, at the signing ceremony for the forest restoration initiative.
- As GoldBod, the Army and the Forestry Commission launch a war on galamsey destruction
A MAJOR crackdown on environmental destruction caused by illegal mining has been launched, with Ghana’s Gold Board joining forces with the Ghana Armed Forces and the Forestry Commission in a bold nationwide forest restoration drive.
The landmark agreement will see damaged forest reserves reclaimed, rehabilitated and replanted, beginning with a 50-hectare (124-acre) stretch of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, one of the worst-hit ecological zones ravaged by illegal mining activity.
The first phase of the project carries a price tag of about GHS 35 million, fully funded by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), as part of a wider national effort to restore degraded lands and protect the country’s natural environment.
MILITARY JOINS GREEN RESCUE MISSION
Under the deal, the Ghana Armed Forces’ Engineer Brigade will provide technical and operational support, working hand in hand with forestry experts from the Forestry Commission.
Together, they will carry out land rehabilitation, afforestation and full ecosystem restoration works aimed at bringing destroyed landscapes back to productive ecological use.
Officials say the project goes beyond tree planting, focusing instead on long-term recovery of entire forest ecosystems damaged by years of illegal mining.
‘GOLD MUST NOT DESTROY THE LAND’
Speaking at the signing ceremony, GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi said the initiative reflects a shift towards responsible resource governance.
He stressed that while gold remains a key national asset, its extraction must never come at the expense of Ghana’s forests, rivers and ecological stability.
“We are ready to undertake what will become the first major reclamation project GoldBod will be undertaking in the coming months,” he said.
The project begins at compartment 161 of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, an area officials say has suffered extensive degradation over time.
DEFENCE MINISTRY BACKS MOVE
Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi welcomed the initiative, describing it as a necessary step that focuses not only on prevention but on repairing already destroyed lands.
“When you overemphasise prevention, you only stop further degradation. The lands that have already been destroyed still require deliberate efforts to restore them,” he said.
He added that the programme could serve as a national model for future environmental restoration efforts if successfully implemented.
FORESTRY COMMISSION PRAISES PARTNERSHIP
Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh C. A. Brown, praised GoldBod for responding swiftly to calls for support in reclaiming degraded forest reserves.
He said the 50-hectare pilot phase marks a crucial step towards restoring ecological balance, protecting biodiversity and safeguarding threatened forest ecosystems.
Officials say the initiative is only the beginning of a broader national programme aimed at restoring degraded landscapes across Ghana.
The long-term goal is to demonstrate that economic development and environmental protection can coexist when backed by political will, technical expertise and sustained investment.
For now, all eyes are on the Tano Nimiri Forest, where the first phase of what is being described as a “green recovery mission” is set to begin.
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