According to a joint statement issued by the Research Staff Association at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Research Scientists Association at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), the illegal mining menace (Galamsey) poses an existential threat to Ghana’s environment, public health, and economy.
The time for hyperbole is passed; they argued, that urgent and consistent action is needed right now.
The declaration mentioned possibly harmful elements linked to cancer and non-cancerous disorders including cadmium, arsenic, chromium, and lead.
Over 24,000 galamsey-induced cancer cases are recorded annually in Ghana
“The actions of galamsey operations help to explain the environmental elements causing Ghana to report more than 24,000 cancer cases yearly. For instance, arsenic might be linked to Buruli ulcers.
“Moreover, exposure to hazardous chemicals causes communities close to mining sites to suffer from higher incidence of respiratory diseases, skin conditions, and other health issues,” they warned.
They also said they are dedicated to helping restructure the whole value chain of small-scale mining in the nation and formulating policies with the government and other stakeholders to recover and restore our lands, forests, and water resources.
“We thus ask the government and other stakeholders to cooperate by funding of research activities to find lasting solutions to the unsustainable mining practices.”
Until there is support for sustainable mining practices, they have insisted on an instant stop of all illegal small-scale mining operations in Ghana.
“We demand that the government now stop all illegal small-scale mining operations across the nation for a duration not less than one
year in which the government supports environmentally friendly mining methods by giving small-scale miners technical and financial support.
“This will help the industry to become more formalized and lessen dependency on harmful mining techniques going forward. Not only
This, in our considered view, would be addressing the galamsey threat with the urgency it demands since the sea is closed for a month each year to enable a bountiful harvest when it reopens.
The present situation of our water bodies calls for strong action as, left uncontrolled, the effects of illicit mining will be disastrous for the public health and environmental integrity of the country.
