Government designates 13 blocked-out areas for small-scale mining to curb illegal mining

The government, through the Minerals Commission, has designated 13 blocked-out areas across Ghana for small-scale mining. These carefully studied areas aim to promote responsible mining and combat illegal mining activities, which degrade the environment and pose risks to communities. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Maxwell Yao Akpene Klu, explained that the initiative targets one of the root causes of illegal mining, known as galamsey, which involves digging in unauthorized areas like water bodies and forest reserves.

The provision of geologically studied areas will prevent miners from entering restricted zones, ensuring that mining does not compromise the environment or national installations, nor affect human health and settlements. The Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), mandates prospecting license holders to relinquish a portion of their concessions as exploration progresses.

The Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP) has equipped the Minerals Commission with three Hybrid Multi-Rotor Drones fitted with Geomagnetic MagArrow magnetometers for aeromagnetic surveys, enabling the Commission to assess the richness of these areas. Stakeholders, including GoldBod, UMaT, Ghana Geological Survey, and MDF, are collaborating to explore and develop these blocked-out areas, providing legal alternatives to illegal mining and creating job opportunities for young people in mining communities.