Forestry Commission Records Major Gains in Reforestation, Anti-Galamsey Fight
The Forestry Commission has recorded significant progress in Ghana’s reforestation drive and the ongoing fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, marking a major boost to efforts aimed at protecting the country’s forests and natural resources.
According to the Commission, recent interventions have led to the successful reclamation of forest reserves that were previously overrun by illegal miners. Notably, nine forest reserves that were once classified as “red zones” due to severe galamsey activity have now been recovered, with no forest reserve currently remaining in the red-zone category.
The Commission explained that this achievement reflects improved surveillance, sustained enforcement operations, and closer collaboration with security agencies and other stakeholders.
As part of these efforts, several illegal mining sites within forest reserves have been dismantled, while mining equipment such as excavators, water-pumping machines and vehicles have been seized.
In addition to enforcement, the Forestry Commission has intensified reforestation and forest restoration programmes to heal lands degraded by illegal mining and other destructive activities. Millions of tree seedlings have been raised and planted across the country under national tree-planting and forest landscape restoration initiatives, aimed at restoring biodiversity, protecting watersheds and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The Commission noted that the reduction in the number of forest reserves under high threat demonstrates that sustained action can yield results, even in the face of long-standing environmental challenges. It added that forest reserves previously classified as orange and yellow zones are now under closer monitoring to prevent a resurgence of illegal activities.
Despite the gains, the Forestry Commission acknowledged that challenges remain. These include limited logistics, the need for stronger legal backing to enhance enforcement, and the slow pace of prosecution of offenders arrested during operations. The Commission has therefore renewed calls for stronger institutional support and legal reforms to strengthen its mandate in the fight against forest crimes.
The Forestry Commission reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Ghana’s forest estate, stressing that the combination of firm law enforcement, community engagement and aggressive reforestation remains key to safeguarding the country’s environment for future generations.
It urged the public, traditional authorities and local communities to continue supporting efforts to end galamsey and promote sustainable use of forest resources, noting that environmental protection is a shared national responsibility.
