By Femi Akinola
IIlegal small scale gold mining is devastating environment in sub-Saharan African countries particularly in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and others, and it is harming the land and the people.
Various nataional government efforts to end it all in the affected countries fall short and the issue continued to responsible for widespread environmental degradation in Africa. Millions of people in the affected countries in Africa face the dangerous consequences of illegal gold mining.
For example in Ghana, (formerly known as Gold Coast) illegal gold mining is known locally as ”galamsey.” It has led to widespread environmental degradation, particularly in the rural communities. Illegal gold mining is sweeping across Ghana and the phenomenon is moving farther up north destroying the land.
Artisanal gold mining, while illegal, has become lucrative in Ghana. However, it devastates the environment, cuses deforestation, habitat destruction, and pollutes the water, air, and soil through the release of toxic chemicals.
Despite national outcry in Ghana over illegal gold mining, the illegality continue unabated undermining Ghana’s agricultural potential and public health as rivers are contaminated with toxic chemicals, a local news medium reported noting that both locals and foreigners involved in the business of galamsy.
It was reported that upon taking office in 2007, former President Nana Akufo-Addo, pledged to end ”galamsey” but despite several government initiatives, enforcement remains weak. Activists in affected communities are seeking immediate action to end illegal gold minining in their neighbourhood.
Ghanaian forensic pathologist and professor, Paul Poku Sampene Ossei, advocates for a complete ban on all forms of small-scale mining. Research by Ossei’s team shows the damage caused by illegal mining has gone from ‘bad to worse,” he informed media in Ghana.
Nearly every major river across Ghana is highly polluted and contaminated. The findings supports other published studies such as birth defects linking this to illegal mining.
According to the report of research conducted by Ossei and his team, in the Bibiani- Anhwiaso-Bekwai district regarded as te hub of illegal gold mining in western Ghana, the team detected the presence of heavy metals, such as cyanide, arsenic and mecury, in the placenta of pregnant women, whhich led to babies with birth defects.
A Ghanaian journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor, who has reported extensively on ”galamsey” in Ghana noted that government task force set up over the years to combat illegal mining have proven ineffective, largely because some of the people in the corridors of power in the country are involved in the illegal activity.
Donkor stressed that he has observed for long time that ”politically exposed persons and people in government” engaged in mining activities within forest reserves adding that ”when military personnel are deployed to these sites, they are often redirected by government officials, preventing them from fulfilling their mandate.
”The involvement of political actors, people in government, and influential figures is the main reason illegal gold mining have not been able to stop in Ghana,” Donkor said.
He noted that owing to illegal gold mining in Ghana, almost all major river across the country is highly polluted. He said the Ghana Water Resources Commission Data shows water turbidity levels (the presence of particles in water), of between 500 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU). Whereas, the recommended level for drinking water should not acceed 5 NTU.
Contaminted water increases risk of illness. Data from CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response indicate that chenicals such as mercury and cyniade pollute water, air, and soil through natural processes and industrial activities, thereby posing potentially deadly threat to humans.
Pollution of water bodies caused by illegal mining, puts community health at risk. When water is contaminated with toxic chemicals, people are driven to find alternative water sources. Many of these alternative sources are often contaminated with bcterial pathogens such as typhoid, experts declared