The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has launched a major national initiative to reclaim and restore lands destroyed by illegal mining, as part of efforts to protect Ghana’s environment and rebuild affected communities.

The initiative, known as the EcoReclaim Project, aims to restore soil fertility, revive biodiversity, and promote sustainable livelihoods in areas severely degraded by mining and other unsustainable human activities.

During a community engagement after inspecting some reclaimed sites, Chief Executive Officer of the EPA, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, said the reclaimed lands would host special plant species to help restore ecosystems and rebuild livelihoods destroyed by illegal mining.

“The reclamation project we are launching today is a step towards healing the land, restoring livelihoods, and rebuilding hope. The theme is to reclaim, restore, and rebuild. It is a national initiative that focuses on reclaiming degraded lands and rehabilitating ecosystems destroyed by mining and other human activities through the Eco Reclaim Project,” she stated.

According to her, the degraded sites will be surveyed, mapped, and restored through activities such as replenishing the topsoil and stabilising slopes. She added that indigenous tree species capable of extracting heavy metals from the soil would be planted to revive soil health.

The project forms part of the government’s flagship Reclaim, Restore, Rebuild programme and will begin with a 2,000-hectare pilot phase at Gyaman Nkwanta in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.

It is being implemented by the Lodgist Group Limited and supervised by the EPA.

Chief Executive Officer of Lodgist Group Limited, Daniel Doe Tamakloe, outlined best land management practices to ensure the project’s success and called on communities to guard reclaimed lands against re-encroachment.

“As part of our operational framework, Lodgist Group Limited is adopting best land management practices to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the reclaimed sites. This includes the use of hydro-remediation and biowood species to naturally restore soil nutrients and stabilise ecosystems, integrated land use planning to ensure reclaimed lands are developed for productive agricultural and community purposes, and continuous soil monitoring and mapping using technology to track environmental recovery. We are also promoting a community-based maintenance system that empowers local residents as custodians of the restored lands. However, for these efforts to yield lasting results, we must all work together to protect the reclaimed sites from any form of encroachment,” he explained.

Traditional leaders have welcomed the initiative and pledged their full support to protect the restored lands and rebuild livelihoods through the project.

Currently, reclamation work is ongoing at Jaman Nkwanta in the Amansia Central District of the Ashanti Region. The EPA says the exercise will cover about 2,000 hectares of degraded land in the district. According to the CEO of the EPA, trees will be planted, and farming activities will be reintroduced to sustain the environment and local livelihoods.

Reporting from Jaman Nkwanta in the Amansia Central District of the Ashanti Region, my name is Carlos Kaloney.

Discussions regarding the government's response to the rise in illegal mining, commonly referred to as ‘galamsey’, have increased significantly due to the severe environmental damage it is causing in the country, particularly the pollution of our water bodies.

Recent researches report that 60% of Ghana’s major rivers have been destroyed by galamsey, with heavy presence of metals which have found their way into our food chain, claiming lives and causing deformities, particularly among babies.

As part of measures to deal with this deadly destruction, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a modern science-backed technological solution to reverse the devastation caused by illegal mining (galamsey).

With what they describe as the ‘nano technology, ' the EPA is confident that the dechemicalization solution, featuring a copper-based 'nano liquid,' has been laboratory-tested and proven effective in purifying heavily contaminated rivers.

Speaking on The Probe on Joy News on Sunday, October 5, Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Executive Director of the EPA, dismissed public despondency, insisting that the crisis is solvable through advanced science, provided the government secures the immediate funding for a large-scale demonstration, which will cost over 200,000 dollars for the piloting phase.

According to her, “I want to tell my fellow Ghanaians that there is still hope, because we are in a technology age. To do pilots to show to Ghanaians and even the president that this is doable. We need 200,000 USD; if I get it today, we will do the pilot for every Ghanaian to see that with the flowing river, this particular technology can be used.” Prof. Klutse declared, shifting the focus from failed military operations to chemical innovation.

Prof. Klutse revealed that the EPA has identified and tested at least two viable technologies, including one that has been successfully deployed in other international contexts, specifically citing success in Greece.

She also admitted that these technologies she is advocating for to strip pollutants from our rivers are something she has witnessed for herself, their efficacy and effectiveness in restoring Ghana’s rivers. According to her, nanotechnology is just one among the many technological tests they are exploring to heal Ghana’s galamsey-polluted water bodies.

“Yes, there’s a nano liquid that is copper-based that can be used. That’s just one. We have tried this, which has been tested in Greece. I have seen for myself. We have done the test in the lab for the EPA and advised the government on this; we have tested it, and it works, and it’s doable,” the University of Ghana Professor said.

She said that even though the new technology has worked well in tests, Ghana will only use it after checking whether it is worth the money, i.e., to check whether it will work efficiently, not just something cheap.

“We are looking at all of the options, and we will have to decide on the one that is more affordable, not just cheap affordable, because it’s effective and also cost-effective.”