Fault line in forests: Illegal mining a profitable but harmful way to address unemployment
The 2025 theme for International Day of the Forests — Forests and Food — reminds us of the importance of forests for our sustenance, nutrition and energy. Forests are the lungs of the Earth and, for many people, the forests represent a means of survival and a way of life.
Despite this, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain and protect our green lungs in the face of illegal activities such as small-scale mining. The challenge for this year is whether our forests should be the price that we pay in pursuit of our economic wellbeing.
Mining is a lucrative alternative to traditional employment in Ghana. It is so lucrative that more than a million people have turned to the practice. This is a testament to a highly profitable but harmful way to address high unemployment. Despite its lucrative nature, more than 85% of this type of mining is illegal, making it difficult for the Ghanaian government to manage, maintain and regulate the industry.
In turn, this has contributed to the growth of movements like #stopgalamseynow and #freecitizens movements to address this problem. So, although illegal mining may be lucrative, it is also contentious. It raises a difficult question as to whether short-term financial gain is worth the long term environmental loss and destruction.
Researchers and state organs in Ghana such as the Forestry Commission have raised alarms on the dangers of illegal mining to major forests. Ghana is one of 11 countries which experiences a significant loss of forestry through mining related activities.
In less than two decades, Ghana had lost nearly 60,000 hectares of forest area and reserves, with regions such as Bono, Ashanti, Eastern, Central Ahafo being the most affected. This is troubling, especially for people that rely on forests for their livelihoods, sustenance and survival.
Illegal mining has also had a significant harmful effect on major water sources such as the Pra, Oti, Offin, Ankobra, Densu, Beirim and Ayensu. The use of heavy duty mechanisation tools strip away fertile land, leading to degradation and ultimately vegetation and forestry loss. More significantly, the extractive mining process has increased the use of chemicals such as mercury, cyanide and arsenic. This has poisoned water bodies, corroded machinery and led to the closure of water treatment plants.
Aside from forest cover loss, illegal mining activities have disrupted the ecological balance and natural ecosystems. Human infringement and the harsh extractive mining process have exacerbated biodiversity loss and wildlife species like fish and crocodiles.
Even farmland has been affected, with seven of the 16 regions experiencing a loss of agricultural land. This has also led to an abandonment of farms and a rising number of high school dropouts, which has stunted human potential and development. The use of corrosive metals has affected farm production and irrigation, with chemicals such as mercury remaining present in water sources for up to 1000 years.
This short-sighted destruction has weakened the sustainability of forests and wildlife. With less forest acreage and growing agricultural loss, there is less for people to sustain themselves. Even the benefits of illegal mining — job creation, increased income and market activities — cannot outweigh the negative effects of this activity.
For Ghana, this International Day of the Forests may be more of a warning than a celebration. We are approaching a point of no return and the question is not whether we can save the forests, but whether we have the will to do so. Mellissa Mlambo is a postdoctoral candidate at the University of Pretoria. The article was written as part of the university’s ESI Project Earth Initiative.