Mahama's NDC To Address Illegal Mining: The Devastating Impact of Mining in Ghana's Forest Reserves incorporating A Satellite Imagery Analysis.

Mahama's NDC To Address Illegal Mining: The Devastating Impact of Mining in Ghana's Forest Reserves incorporating A Satellite Imagery Analysis. By Janix Kwabena Asare Doi:10.5281/zenodo.13602705 Abstract This study examines the devastating impact of mining in Ghana's forest reserves, using satellite images to assess land cover changes between 2017 and 2023. The results show a significant loss of forest cover, water pollution, soil degradation, and community displacement. Weaknesses in regulation and enforcement, including inadequate resources and lack of transparency, contribute to the problem. The study recommends strengthening regulation and enforcement, community engagement, environmental impact assessments, and sustainable mining practices to minimize the impact of mining on Ghana's forest reserves. Introduction Ghana's forest reserves are facing severe environmental degradation and social impacts due to mining activities. The Upper Wasa and Apamprama forest reserves are among the affected areas, with issues including deforestation, water pollution, soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and community displacement. Despite efforts to address these concerns, the problem persists due to weaknesses in regulation and enforcement. This study aims to examine the impact of mining in Ghana's forest reserves using satellite images and assess the effectiveness of current measures to address the issue. Also what are the potential impacts of some recommended solutions such as the Mahama and the NDC’S 2024 Manifesto which promises to: 1. Promote responsible mining for sustainable development - Wage a ruthless war against illegal mining and reclaim polluted water bodies, degraded lands, and devastated forest reserves 2. Implement measures including: - Banning new mining activities in forest reserves - Amending the Mineral and Mining Law to impose stiffer punishments - Decentralising regulatory and licensing processes - Implementing a 'Tree for Life' reforestation policy and Blue Water Initiative - Resourcing the geological survey department - Setting up a Ghana Gold Board (GOLDBOD) to regulate small-scale mining Objectives The objectives of this study are: 1. To assess the impact of mining on Ghana's forest reserves using satellite images, focusing on land cover changes between 2017 and 2023. 2. To identify the weaknesses in regulation and enforcement contributing to the problem. 3. To evaluate the effectiveness of current measures to address the impact of mining in Ghana's forest reserves. 4. To recommend sustainable solutions to minimize the impact of mining on Ghana's forest reserves. 5. To provide a framework for stakeholders to engage in responsible mining practices and environmental conservation. Methodology This study gathered land cover area from various sources as well as satellite images of trees from the Sentinel-2 Land Cover Explorer App to assess land cover changes in Ghana's forest reserves between 2017 and 2023. The app provides a detailed, accurate, and timely land use/land cover map of Ghana, powered by Esri and based on Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. The study also reviewed existing literature and reports on the impact of mining in Ghana's forest reserves, including Prof. Frimpong Boateng's Report and the NDC's Manifesto. The map allows users to: - Visualize land cover changes over time (2017-2023) - Analyze statistical changes by year, map extent, and class - Filter by selected land cover class - View regional class statistics summarized by administrative boundaries - Download data for offline use The data is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, and the app is licensed under the Esri Master License Agreement. The accuracy of the information provided is subject to the accuracy of the source data. Trees refers to a substantial grouping of dense, tall vegetation (reaching heights of 15 feet or more) with a closed or dense canopy, such as: - Wooded areas with dense foliage - Clusters of tall, dense vegetation within savannas - Plantations with dense canopy cover - Swamp or mangrove areas with dense/tall vegetation and periodic water presence (or canopy so thick that water beneath is undetectable)" Results Here is the information on Ghana's forest area cover and percentage from 2008 to 2020, based on the following sources: 2008: - Forest area: 7,243,000 hectares (FAO, 2010) - Percentage of land area: 32.4% (FAO, 2010) 2010: Forest area: 7,075,000 hectares (FAO, 2010) - Percentage of land area: 31.7% (FAO, 2010) 2015: - Forest area: 6,923,000 hectares (FAO, 2015) - Percentage of land area: 31.1% (FAO, 2015) 2017: - Forest area: 6,557,000 hectares (Global Forest Watch, 2017) - Percentage of land area: 29.4% (Global Forest Watch, 2017) 2020: - Forest area: 6,333,000 hectares (FAO, 2020) - Percentage of land area: 28.4% (FAO, 2020) Results of Land Cover from the Satellite images Estimate Landsat data was retrieved from https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/landcoverexplorer/#mapCenter=-1.24977%2C7.99009%2C6.708148148147811&timeExtent=2017%2C2023&year=2023 This is a land use/land cover map of Ghana, powered by Esri and based on Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. The map shows the distribution of different land cover classes, including: Water, Trees, land, Flooded Area, Crops, Built, Bare and Clouds just covering 48% of Ghana. Land cover Total Percentage in 2017 Land cover Total Percentage in 2023 Discussing of Results Change from 2010 to 2015 (NDC): - Forest area: 7,075,000 ha - 6,923,000 ha = -152,000 ha (2.15% decline) - Percentage of land area: 31.7% - 31.1% = -0.6% (1.9% decline) Change from 2017 to 2020 (NPP): - Forest area: 6,557,000 ha - 6,333,000 ha = -224,000 ha (3.42% decline) - Percentage of land area: 29.4% - 28.4% = -1.0% (3.39% decline) Comparison: - The decline in forest area from 2017 to 2020 (-224,000 ha) is indeed greater than the decline from 2010 to 2015 (-152,000 ha). - The percentage decline in forest area from 2017 to 2020 (3.42%) is also greater than the decline from 2010 to 2015 (2.15%). - Similarly, the decline in percentage of land area from 2017 to 2020 (-1.0%) is greater than the decline from 2010 to 2015 (-0.6%). Here are the calculations for the total change from 2008 to 2020: Forest Area: - 2008: 7,243,000 ha - 2020: 6,333,000 ha - Total change: -910,000 ha (12.5% decline) Percentage of Land Area: - 2008: 32.4% - 2020: 28.4% - Total change: -4.0% (12.3% decline) So, from 2008 to 2020, Ghana's forest area declined by 910,000 hectares (12.5%) and the percentage of land area covered by forests declined by 4.0% (12.3%). Discussion of the Results From The Satellite Data The satellite images shows that Ghana’s trees have reduced by 3% from 45% in 2017 to 42% in 2023. These trees to a substantial grouping of dense, tall vegetation (reaching heights of 15 feet or more) with a closed or dense canopy, such as: - Wooded areas with dense foliage - Clusters of tall, dense vegetation within savannas - Plantations with dense canopy cover - Swamp or mangrove areas with dense/tall vegetation and periodic water presence (or canopy so thick that water beneath is undetectable)" Built environment has increased by 1% from 2% in 2017 to 3% in 2023 as bare lands have reduced from 0.1% in 2017 to 0% in 2023. "Built" encompasses human-constructed infrastructure and developments, including: - Major transportation networks like highways and railways - Large, uniform, impermeable surfaces such as: - Parking lots and garages - Commercial buildings like offices and shopping centers - Residential areas like houses, apartments, and condominiums - Urbanized areas like villages, towns, and cities with dense concentrations of human-made structures - Paved surfaces like roads, highways, and asphalt-covered areas Weaknesses in Regulation and Enforcement - Lack of effective enforcement: Inadequate enforcement of anti-galamsey laws and regulations. (NPP, 2020) - Internal contradictions: Some NPP members and officials have been accused of supporting or engaging in galamsey. (NPP, 2020) - Inadequate resources: Insufficient resources allocated to tackle galamsey, including funding, personnel, and equipment. (NPP, 2020) - Slow pace of reform: Delayed implementation of promised reforms, such as the Multilateral Mining Integrated Project (MMIP). (NPP, 2020) - Lack of transparency: Limited transparency in the allocation of mining licenses and permits. (NPP, 2020) Findings of Prof. Frimpong Boateng's Report - Widespread illegal mining activities in forest reserves, with over 70% of mining operations being illegal. (Prof. Frimpong Boateng's Report, 2020) - Significant loss of forest cover, with an estimated 20,000 hectares of forest lost annually. (Prof. Frimpong Boateng's Report, 2020) - Water pollution affecting human health, with high levels of mercury and arsenic detected in water sources. (Prof. Frimpong Boateng's Report, 2020) - Soil degradation and loss of fertility, affecting agricultural productivity. (Prof. Frimpong Boateng's Report, 2020) Recent Invasion of Draw River Forest Reserve - An unidentified miner has invaded the Draw River Forest Reserve, one of Ghana's major protected forests, for illegal mining. (Erastus Asare Donkor, 2024) - Part of the forest has been cleared, and excavators are ready for operation, marking the beginning of a chain of forest degradation through illegal mining. Negative Impacts of Mining - Deforestation and habitat loss: Mining activities have led to widespread deforestation, resulting in habitat loss and fragmentation. (University of Ghana, 2001) - Water pollution: Mining activities contaminate water sources, affecting aquatic life and human consumption. (Ghana Water Company Limited, 2020) - Soil degradation: Mining leads to soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and reduced fertility. (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science a