Illegal mining operations run by foreign nationals, mostly Chinese companies, are devastating Ghana's Ahafo Region. A multi-stakeholder forum in Goaso highlighted that six such companies are active, with only one holding a valid permit. The operations violate Ghana's Minerals and Mining Act, contaminate rivers with mercury and cyanide, and strip forest carbon sinks, undermining SDG 13 and SDG 15. Local farmers lose their cocoa and food crop farms to land degradation, while residents face health risks from heavy metal exposure. The forum, organized by the Nature and Development Foundation with state agencies, produced a unified action plan calling on regulators and security forces to enforce existing laws without compromise. The story underscores the gap between policy and implementation in tackling environmental crime.
