Forestry Commission Reports Nearly 9,000 Hectares of Forest Reserves Lost to Galamsey

The Forestry Commission reports that close to 9,000 hectares of Ghana’s forest reserves have been destroyed by illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, with more than 5,200 hectares lost within the last three years.

According to a new assessment by the Commission, illegal mining activity in forest reserves expanded by 5,252.9 hectares between 2021 and 2024, raising the total degraded area to 8,923.8 hectares as of December 31, 2024.

The data shows that the Ashanti Region experienced the most severe forest destruction, followed by the Western North Region, underscoring increasing pressure on some of the nation’s most vital forest ecosystems.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Dr. Hugh Brown, said part of the surge in destruction can be linked to setbacks in enforcement, including the withdrawal of military support from anti-galamsey operations.

“The military was withdrawn on November 1, and we had to operate on our own. We were forced to quickly strengthen our rapid response teams, even when they did not have adequate resources,” Dr. Brown noted.

He added that Ghana’s approaches to forest protection have become outdated and need urgent improvement to effectively respond to the evolving threats posed by illegal mining.

“We cannot keep protecting forests using methods from the 1920s and 1930s, when guards carried cutlasses and simply walked along boundaries. Investment in modern protection systems has been inadequate,” he said.

The Commission’s findings highlight the ongoing challenge of protecting Ghana’s forest reserves as illegal mining continues to spread despite multiple enforcement campaigns.

Officials stressed that addressing the crisis will require stronger logistical support, better surveillance technology, and deeper cooperation among security agencies and environmental bodies.