According to a statement by Ghana's forestry commission, illegal mining activities are threatening forest reserves despite government vows to put an end to them.     

President Nana Akufo-Addo previously promised in 2017 to curb the activities of "galamsey" - the term given by locals to refer to illegal and small-scale mining. 

On Tuesday, John Allotey, the Chief Executive of Ghana's Forestry Commission stated: "Records we have at the ministry indicate that out of the 16 regions, seven have been experiencing some form of illegal mining," adding that "34 out of 288 reserves have been affected".  

At a briefing, reporters were informed by Allotey that 4,726 hectares are predicted to be affected, which counts as an area larger than Athens, Greece, or Brussels, Belgium. He also noted that "galamsey" has effects that go beyond forest-size reduction, as it pollutes water bodies and makes deep holes that cannot be returned back to their natural state.

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The authorities regularly crack down on illegal sites, taking away excavators, but still, the practice continues.    

Even though authorities raid illegal sites and arrest excavators, the activities still go on. "We want to intensify surveillance, engage the military to do surgical operations in the hotspot areas, and source for additional funding," said Allotey.

'The world is concerned'

The main cause of deforestation, per the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, was agricultural expansion, followed by illegal logging, wildfires, overgrazing, and infrastructure development.  

Nehemiah Odjer-Bio of a grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth Ghana, noted that the country "revised laws, put measures and systems in place to ensure that our forests are well protected, but in spite of all these, our forests are still being destroyed". 

Weakly organized law enforcement, corruption, and high rates of unemployment were blamed by Odjer-Bio for being the reason behind deforestation activities, adding that the impacts could go even further.

"Ghana has a tropical biodiverse forest with different species of trees and animals that all serve important functions as far as the country and the world is concerned," Odjer-Bio said to AFP.  

"Because of the changes in climate... it is very important for us to ensure that the remaining forest is well protected in order to enhance its climate amelioration functions."  

727 people were awaiting trial this week, as confirmed by Ghana's attorney general and minister of justice Godfred Yeboah Dame per local media, over alleged involvement in illegal mining. 

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