According to Sulemana Issifu, Director of Research for Climate Change and Food Security, Ghana’s forest cover has drastically dwindled by 38%, as reported by the Forestry Commission.
Issifu warned that this significant loss of forest cover has severely impaired Ghana’s capacity to purify the air and produce food, posing a double threat to the environment and food security.
He expressed dismay over the government’s failure to provide adequate technology for water treatment, despite the obvious devastating impacts of galamsey on water sources, which he finds disheartening.
“As it stands there is no investment in research that will provide solutions to these problems. Resetting the system without an investment in research is going to be problematic. Specifically on food security, as we have seen, cocoa is declining and it is being rejected on the international market due to these metal [mercury] in it”.
“Already, Ghana is a net importer of food. You are a country that cannot even produce enough to feed itself how then do we go and compromise the farmlands that are being used to produce the food?”
Sulemana Issifu, Director of Research for Climate Change and Food Security
Issifu cited a study revealing that galamsey is the primary driver of farmland loss in Ghana, underscoring the devastating impact of illegal mining on agricultural land.
He criticized the government’s investment in the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, questioning its effectiveness when a mere two-month dry spell can push Ghana’s food security to the brink of crisis.
Issifu warned that Ghana’s food system is precariously balanced, relying on fragile support, and is at risk of collapse due to the pressures it faces.
He emphasized that converting farmland into galamsey sites is unacceptable and unjustifiable, highlighting the irreversible damage it causes.
Issifu also highlighted the alarming health impact of galamsey, noting that mercury contamination in food is causing birth defects, as mothers unknowingly pass on the toxic effects to their infants.
Galamsey Politicization: A Threat To Generations
According to Sulemana Issifu, the politicization of the galamsey issue is having a devastating impact, as it not only threatens the current generation’s right to a safe and healthy environment but also jeopardizes the very survival and livelihoods of future generations.
Issifu stressed that Ghana has catastrophically failed in its efforts to combat galamsey, and the situation has reached a critical point where urgent and decisive action is imperative, leaving no room for further procrastination or complacency.
He expressed outrage at the lax attitude of government institutions, especially the CHRAJ, towards the galamsey crisis in Ghana’s forest reserves, highlighting the CHRAJ’s slow response to a petition as a damning indictment of their ineffectiveness in tackling this critical issue.
“But I can assure you, what galamsey can do to you wherever you live in Ghana, you have no idea. The food you are eating, the water you are drinking, and even if you have money to buy bottled water, I am not sure you have money to buy bottled water for your entire family”.
“You [CHRAJ] have state powers, use it to solve the [galamsey] problem. Six to seven months and they are still investigating. The biosphere has been compromised. If you have your forest reserve being depleted this way, your air quality is going to reduce”.
Sulemana Issifu, Director of Research for Climate Change and Food Security
Issifu cautioned that if the government neglects to tackle the galamsey problem, frustrated citizens may be compelled to appeal to the UN to withhold carbon credit funds from Ghana, citing the country’s rampant deforestation.
Issifu emphasized that there are numerous alternative revenue streams available to address Ghana’s challenges, making illegal mining an unnecessary and destructive choice.
He pointed out that since most food producers are operating in areas affected by galamsey, there is a high risk of contaminated food entering the market, posing a significant threat to public health.
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