A Rocha Ghana urges gov’t to make Atewa Forest a national park
A Rocha Ghana and its partners have called on the government to fulfil its long-standing commitment to convert the Atewa Range Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region into a national park. The environmental organisation said urgent action was needed to protect the forest from what it described as an “unprecedented and escalating attack” from illegal […] The post A Rocha Ghana urges gov’t to make…
A Rocha Ghana and its partners have urged the government to turn the Atewa Range Forest Reserve in Ghana's Eastern Region into a national park. The environmental group emphasized the urgent need to shield the forest from the "unprecedented and escalating attack" posed by illegal mining activities. Deputy National Director at A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, made this plea at a press conference.
Describing Atewa Forest as a critical national and global ecological asset, the statement highlighted that the reserve, which spans approximately 26,300 hectares, accounts for 33.5% of the remaining closed forest in Ghana's Eastern Region. It is recognized as a Key Biodiversity Area and forms the headwaters of the Ayensu, Densu, and Birim rivers, providing water to millions of Ghanaians.
The groups warned that continued destruction of the forest by illegal mining could jeopardize the country's water security. They cited evidence of extensive excavation, destroyed forest cover, polluted streams, makeshift mining camps, and abandoned equipment in recent illegal mining hotspots within the reserve. They also expressed concern over the slow prosecution of illegal miners in the reserve.
The statement cited a March 2026 letter from the Kyebi Forest District Manager, which reported an ongoing influx of illegal miners despite 60 arrests in the Sagyimase/Asikam portion of the reserve. They also alleged that an operation involving 55 police officers was compromised due to information leaks, resulting in only five arrests.
Despite the challenges, A Rocha Ghana and its partners argue that protecting Atewa through national park status and restoring surrounding areas could generate economic value of about US$1.157 billion over 30 years. They propose a "Transformational Development Agenda for Atewa National Park," which would focus on eco-tourism, agroforestry, climate finance, green value chains, and restoration of degraded mining areas.
The initiative could create thousands of jobs and support industries such as cocoa processing and the development of value chains for products like Afromomum, Voacanga, bitter kola, Griffonia, and avocado.
Written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
