Catholic bishops in Ghana have renewed warnings over the devastating impact of illegal mining, describing the country’s vast mineral wealth as having become a national curse rather than a blessing. Ghana is Africa’s leading gold producer, generating around 130 tonnes annually. Gold made up more than 93 percent of Ghana’s mineral revenue in 2019, with illegal mining—commonly known as “Galamsey”—posing a significant threat. The sector is estimated to employ one million people and indirectly supports an additional 4.5 million.
Despite its scale, illegal mining is draining the state of crucial resources. In 2016 alone, it was reported that gold smuggling cost Ghana $2.3 billion. Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, in a statement, condemned the damage caused to the environment and the seeming reluctance of authorities to act decisively. He said illegal mining not only ravages the land but also endangers health, livelihoods, and the country’s future.
According to the bishops, over 10,000 acres of forest have been destroyed in just two years, and major rivers such as the Pra, Offin, and Ankobra have become environmental disaster zones. WaterAid described the scale of pollution as “ecocide”, while Ghana’s water utility has warned that if the trend continues, the country could become a net importer of water by 2030.
Bishop Gyamfi noted that the ecological destruction is matched by social and moral decay. In 2022, Archbishop Philip Naameh highlighted a spike in unexplained illnesses in Catholic hospitals, likely linked to contaminated water. These include a rise in cervical and uterine cancers among women, kidney issues in both adults and children, and an increase in stillbirths.
The crisis has also created ripple effects beyond Ghana. In Cameroon, Lukong Isidore Njodzeven of the Catholic Diocese of Kumbo revealed that human traffickers are exploiting Ghana’s mining boom to lure vulnerable youths, particularly those displaced by conflict, with false promises of work. Many end up trafficked through Nigeria under dangerous conditions.
In response, Ghana’s Catholic bishops have proposed a seven-point action plan. Their recommendations include suspending the issuance of new small-scale mining licences, conducting a full audit of existing operations, and prioritising land restoration. They also called for investment in alternative livelihoods for mining-dependent communities and urged stronger funding for regulatory agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and Minerals Commission.
Among their more innovative proposals is the introduction of a blockchain-based digital traceability system to track mineral resources, reduce smuggling, and ensure transparency. The bishops also suggested that declaring a temporary state of emergency in the worst-affected areas could enable military-led environmental recovery and a return to lawful governance.
President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to address the problem, including by restoring forests through carbon credit schemes. However, the bishops argue that long-term success will only be achieved if citizens embrace the environmental principles outlined in Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’.
Allen Ottaro, director of the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa, reinforced this call, saying that every Christian—and indeed all people—have a moral duty to protect the environment. He added that caring for creation is an integral part of Christian virtue and urged believers to allow their faith to shape both their lifestyle choices and societal engagement.
