A study on the impact of the galamsey activities in the Western region has shown that the Amenfi East, Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni Valley districts are the most impacted districts in terms of operational footprint.
According to the study, the galamsey operators have destroyed 58.272%, 17.532% and 8.452% of the land sizes of the aforementioned areas respectively.
The survey which looked at 11 Municipal and District Assemblies in the Western region, also attributed the development to the highest percentage of chamfi and alluvial (washing board) operations, which generally requires a large area of land to profitably operate.
Meanwhile the Sefwi Wiawso, Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai ,Wassa East and and Nzema East Districts, are the four MDAs least proliferated by galamsey operators.
The percentages of land sizes affected by the activities of illicit mining activities are 0.002%, 0.344%, 0.414% and 0.416% respectively.
Also, the study revealed that out of the nine galamsey types observed, the chamfi accounted for the highest level of destruction with (45.47% of land destruction in the areas under study.
This was followed by alluvial washing board (43.4%) and river/stream dredging (4.94%).
The three activities also topped as operations with most extensive footprint.
–
By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
Credit: Costed Reclamation & Decommissioning Strategy for Galamsey Operations in 11 selected MDAs of the Western Region, Ghana.
(Mantey J., Owusu- Nimo F. and Nyarko K. B. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Civil Department, Kumasi-Ghana)