Galamsey operations over the years have destroyed most of our agriculture lands, as well as polluted many water bodies in Ghana. This has subsequently led to water shortages in some parts of the country. The saddest part of this is that most of these illegal galamsey operations are carried out by Chinese nationals who use heavy machinery in their illegal activity. To add insult to injury, some of these Chinese galamsey operators have their own armed private security personnel who harass and intimidate locals. This poses a major risk for national security. The galamsey menace is, therefore, one that has to be ruthlessly dealt with. On the contrary, it has been reported that our Minister For Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, on Monday in the quest to solve this social canker held an emergency meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohongand, and BEGGED her to help address this issue – a move that was totally needless and even unacceptable! The laws of the country on illegal mining are clear, and they restrict foreigners from engaging in small scale mining. What those Chinese nationals are doing is therefore a criminal act and must been seen as such. We are asking the Minister to enforce our mining laws and stop begging the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana to help. The galamsey problem is a Ghanaian problem not a Chinese problem and must be solved with Ghanaian laws.

The Minister should have rather asked the Chinese ambassador to warn its citizens about the fact that the security agencies of the country will enforce all the mining laws and any Chinese national who is found culpable will be dealt with according to the laws of Ghana. Mr. Minister, we are sitting on a time bomb, we don’t have the leisure of time to waste! The time of diplomacy in solving this galamsey menace is over! It is time to take action to save our future generation.
Past Projects

Kasa's efforts in restoring mangrove forests to mitigate coastal erosion

The Keta lagoon tragedy is still edged in the minds of residents who helplessly watched as the sea claimed their loved ones lives, their property and even robbed their gravesites. Now, all that’s left of a once thriving community is stumps of houses and sunken hopes evident by their scowled faces. This phenomenon is unfortunately becoming common along Ghana coastlines as the sea levels rise and take claim to lives, land and property.

One of the evidence of climate change is rising temperatures which impact the sea and oceans in various ways. One is melting polar ice which leads to expansion of oceans which in turn encroach on lands such as Keta. Secondly, the high temperatures which are stored in the water exacerbates water acidity which then degrades coral reefs and even mangroves; which act as sea defense. Cases such as Keta’s can be observed world over, in coastal areas.

The Government of Ghana has responded to this recurring disaster with measures to keep the sea at bay and relocation propositions for community members. Along  Ghana’s volta region and other coastal regions, one can observe sea defense systems protecting coastlines from strong tidal waves that cause erosion, flooding, amongst other hazards. These engineered structures are fortified to ensure durability and restoration of normally for coastal communities. However, as with most man made structures, there is a lifespan to such structures.  That is why organisations such as Kasa Initiative Ghana advocate for Nature based solutions such as planting of Mangroves.

Mangroves forests not only act as sea defense but perform as carbon sinks better than terrestrial forests. Additionally, their roots create an ecosystem for marine life to start and thrive. Marine creatures such as turtles and fish rely on this ecosystem for survival in initial life stages before venturing into the deep sea. Kasa with support from IUCN and Forestry commission sought  to restore mangrove in South Tongu District of the Volta Region. The exercise, done in collaboration with youth, women and men from the communities not only identified locations for restoration but also provided seedlings and carried out the planting. The initiative also engaged community members on the importance of mangrove forest in the environment and what it takes to ensure the forests reach maturity. 

 

In previous years, communities along the coastline in the Volta region were well barricaded from tidal waves by thinning mangrove forests. However, due to livelihood activities such as mangrove harvesting, the forests are now shrinking and far apart. Smoking of fish and other seafood is common in these areas with mangrove being the preferred source of firewood. Due to this, introduction of alternative livelihood is a key component to restoration efforts to avoid a recurrence of the current where firewood heaps are aligned along the coastline and in markets. 

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