Rivers contaminated by illegal mining could take up to 100 years to regain their natural purity, while chemically degraded lands may require as long as 300 years to recover, a University of Cape Coast (UCC) academic has warned.
Prof. Albert Ebo Duncan of the UCC Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering gave the warning at an anti-galamsey public education forum at Praso in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region.
He explained that heavy metals and toxic chemicals used in illegal mining operations persist in water bodies and soils for extended periods, making natural recovery a lengthy process.
“Even if galamsey stops today, contaminated water may take up to 100 years to return to a safe, clean state, while chemically degraded farmlands could remain unsuitable for full ecological and agricultural recovery for roughly 300 years,” Duncan said.
He noted that although treatment and remediation efforts could begin immediately, the natural processes required to remove heavy metals from riverbeds and regenerate contaminated topsoil could span several generations.
His warning comes amid recent laboratory findings from northern Ghana, where an EU-backed baseline study detected cadmium in all soil samples and mercury in 94 per cent of samples collected from 30 illegal mining communities in the Savannah Region.
The Praso forum brought together schoolchildren, small-scale miners and journalists as part of a two-month house-to-house sensitisation campaign organised by the UCC Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).
Under the programme, 16 trained young environmental advocates are working in teams alongside selected teachers to educate their peers and community members on environmental protection, sanitation and the long-term effects of illegal mining.
Pupils at the event also staged drama performances highlighting the impact of river pollution and land degradation on farming livelihoods, public health and national food security.
Prof. Duncan urged young people to stay away from illegal mining and echoed recent appeals by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources for students to take an active role in anti-galamsey advocacy within their communities.
He further called on the government, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and local residents to support sustained enforcement and bipartisan action to protect Ghana’s rivers and farmlands from further destruction.
By:Rachael Djabakie