The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana has launched an ambitious initiative to restore water bodies contaminated by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. With full backing from the President, this large-scale cleanup aims to reclaim polluted rivers and streams, ensuring safer and cleaner water for communities across the country. But while the initiative is necessary, the real question is: how much will it cost?
EPA Chief Executive Officer, Professor Nana Ama Brown Klutse, has described the situation as an emergency, emphasizing the need for immediate action. According to her, the EPA has already begun collecting water samples and is considering proposals from various companies to rehabilitate affected water bodies. The agency aims to carry out the first phase of cleaning, which will reduce pollution levels to a point where the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) can continue treatment and distribution to the public.
“We see this as an emergency situation to clean up our water bodies, which have been polluted by galamsey. The EPA is going to clean up our water bodies. We have been picking samples already and have proposals from different companies to rehabilitate them,” she stated
However, the financial burden of reversing the damage caused by galamsey is staggering. According to the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (2022), restoring just 20 percent of affected river basins could cost the government up to $400 million over a ten-year period. This figure accounts only for monitoring, environmental rehabilitation, and community engagement efforts.
Beyond water restoration, the total cost of rehabilitating all contaminated environments in Ghana is difficult to determine, as it depends on the extent of pollution, geographical spread, and cleanup methods. However, estimates indicate that restoring both water bodies and soils damaged by galamsey could run into billions of dollars.
Given the magnitude of investment required, international partnerships and donor funding will be critical in financing the cleanup efforts.
As indicated, the EPA has begun reviewing proposals from environmental rehabilitation firms to identify the most effective and sustainable strategies for cleaning the water bodies.
This initiative forms part of a broader national agenda to combat the devastating effects of illegal mining, which have severely impacted public health, agriculture, and economic sustainability.
