File photo of a galamsey site
The Forestry Commission has disclosed that the total area of forest reserves impacted by illegal mining increased by approximately 70% between 2021 and the end of 2024.
The update was contained in a technical presentation delivered in February 2026, providing fresh data on the scale of destruction within forest reserves across the country.
According to the Commission, a nationwide compilation conducted in 2021 had estimated the total area affected at 5,252.9 hectares across 43 forest reserves and one national park.
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However, a 2025 satellite-based remote sensing verification, analysing imagery up to December 31, 2024, revealed that the damage now spans 45 forest reserves and one national park, reaching 8,923.8 hectares as at December 2024.
The most impacted regions include Ashanti, Western and Western North.
The Commission explained that the latest assessment relied heavily on satellite remote sensing technology, including Google Earth Pro and Landsat/Sentinel-2 imagery, combined with drone validation and ArcGIS analysis.
Manual digitising of mined-out sites within forest reserve boundaries was undertaken, with further drone assessments conducted in areas showing wide variations between the 2021 and 2024 data sets, including the Apamprama Forest Reserve.
Time-series imagery of reserves such as Oda River, Apamprama and Upper Wassaw also progressive degradation over the years.
Several limitations, however, in the assessment process, including cloud cover affecting optical satellite imagery, difficulties capturing activities beneath dense forest canopies, and the time-intensive nature of manual data processing were noted.
Looking ahead, the Forestry Commission indicated that verification for 2025 is ongoing.
It also announced plans to automate the monitoring workflow using artificial intelligence to enable automatic detection and quantification of mined-out areas.
The adoption of improved technology is expected to facilitate annual quantification of changes in forest reserves and provide more frequent updates to inform policy decisions and enforcement strategies.
The latest findings come as the Commission begins processes to establish military protection camps in 44 forest reserves identified as galamsey hotspots, in a renewed effort to curb illegal mining and protect Ghana’s forest resources.
ID/AM
Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb’s exposé on the ‘dark side of Kayamata’ and its devastating impact
