Mining in forest reserves: CSOs petition Akufo-Addo, Bagbin
The CSOs numbering 23 in August picketed at Parliament and Minerals Commission for two consecutive days in a bid to drum home their concerns
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs ) in the country have petitioned President Akufo-Addo and the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin over the revocation of a new Legislative Instrument (LI 2462) which puts no restriction on mining in Ghana’s forest reserves.
The CSOs numbering 23 in August picketed at Parliament and Minerals Commission for two consecutive days in a bid to drum home their concerns.
In a petition addressed to President Akufo-Add and the Speaker of Parliament, the CSOs warned the law if not revoked could derail efforts and gains on forest management and the fight against climate change.
“Your Excellency Sir, L.I. 2462 as presently passed by Parliament, provides, among other things, statutory procedures for mining in forest reserves. Forest reserves are, by law, created over forest areas with a primary objective to protect them from destruction.6 Thus, LI 2462 on its face, presents the opportunity for miners to destroy forest reserves which were specifically created to ensure the protection of the forestry and wildlife therein.
“Your Excellency from the above, it is evident that LI 2462 is a bad law and has the potential of reversing the gains on forest management and the fight against climate change.”
“The coalition of CSOs and institutions respectfully request Your Excellency to cause the revocation of L. I 2462 to safeguard our forest reserves,” the CSOs said.
Background
In November 2022, a new Legal Instrument LI 2462 ‘Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations’ was passed. Civil society organisations said they only became aware of this clandestine action by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the government in March 2023.
Under the Right to Information Act, concerned civil society organisations have sent requests to relevant public institutions for information on the process that led to the passage of LI 2462, but responses have been either limited or absent.
“Ghanaians, especially the rural communities, need to know what this L.I. entails and how it may affect them,” the CSOs said.
While the 2018 ‘Environmental Guidelines for Mining in Production Forest Reserves in Ghana’ that preceded the LI allowed a maximum of 2% of the production areas of forest reserves to be mined, the new regulations have no such restriction.
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
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