An environmental non-governmental organisation, Eco Impact Network, has warned that widespread ecosystem destruction caused by illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, is contributing to noticeable changes in Ghana’s weather patterns.
The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Mrs. Gifty Ofori-Yeboah, said long-established seasonal conditions were becoming increasingly unpredictable as forests and wetlands, which once played a stabilising role in the country’s local climate, continued to be degraded.
Mrs. Ofori-Yeboah noted that in previous years, the harmattan season was characterised by cooler temperatures, dense haze, and reduced visibility, but those conditions were largely absent this year, pointing to a disruption in normal seasonal cycles.
She explained that the changes reflected a broader trend of climate irregularity across parts of the country, marked by rising temperatures, reduced cloud cover, and erratic rainfall patterns, which have weakened natural systems that traditionally regulated local weather conditions.
According to her, forests and wetlands are critical for moderating temperatures, retaining moisture, and supporting cloud formation. Their destruction, she said, had resulted in excessive heat, altered wind patterns, and inconsistent transitions between seasons.
Beyond its impact on weather, Mrs. Ofori-Yeboah said the environmental damage from galamsey was extensive, with large tracts of forest reserves destroyed as miners cleared vegetation to access gold-bearing soils.
She added that deforestation had led to the loss of wildlife habitats, increased soil erosion, and reduced carbon absorption capacity, further intensifying climate stress.
The NGO also raised concerns about the severe degradation of aquatic ecosystems, noting that rivers and streams in mining areas had been polluted with sediments and toxic chemicals, rendering many water bodies unsafe for domestic and agricultural use.
Mrs. Ofori-Yeboah warned that the use of mercury and cyanide in gold extraction posed long-term environmental and public health risks, and called for stricter enforcement of mining regulations alongside sustained restoration of degraded lands.
She cautioned that without decisive and coordinated action, Ghana risked further ecosystem collapse with far-reaching environmental and socio-economic consequences.
