The Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL) has commended the government, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) for the implementation of Operation Green Shield aimed at tackling illegal mining activities in the Atewa Forest Reserve.
The group, however, says the success of the operation must go beyond the removal of illegal miners and mining equipment, insisting that sustained military presence, effective surveillance and comprehensive ecological restoration are necessary to secure the forest against further destruction.
In a statement, CCAL described the intervention as an important step towards addressing the persistent threat of illegal mining and protecting one of Ghana’s most significant ecological assets and water resources.
The group particularly welcomed the government’s recognition of the need to maintain security arrangements at cleared illegal mining hotspots to prevent miners from returning to resume their activities.
It stressed that the protection of the Atewa Forest Reserve required a long-term commitment rather than occasional security operations that could leave the forest vulnerable once personnel withdrew.
Calls for sustained military presence
CCAL has called on the government to maintain a continuous military presence at strategically established security camps within and around the forest reserve.
According to the group, withdrawing security personnel immediately after operations could create opportunities for illegal miners to return and re-establish their activities.
It has therefore recommended a coordinated 24-hour security and surveillance arrangement involving the military, Forestry Commission guards and other relevant security agencies.
The proposed arrangement, it said, should include regular patrols, monitoring of access routes and rapid-response mechanisms to prevent illegal miners from re-entering the forest.
CCAL maintained that protecting the Atewa Forest must be a continuous national responsibility and not an exercise dependent on periodic military interventions.
Demands comprehensive reclamation of degraded areas
Beyond security measures, the environmental advocacy group has expressed concern about the extensive destruction already caused by illegal mining in parts of the forest reserve.
It argued that removing illegal miners and clearing mining equipment alone would not reverse the environmental damage inflicted on the forest.
CCAL has consequently urged the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to collaborate with the Forestry Commission, the Environmental Protection Authority and other relevant institutions to develop and implement a comprehensive reclamation and ecological restoration programme.
The proposed programme, according to the group, should begin with a detailed assessment and mapping of all degraded portions of the forest to determine the extent of the damage and identify areas requiring urgent intervention.
It also called for the restoration of destroyed vegetation through appropriate reforestation programmes and the planting of indigenous tree species to support the recovery of the forest’s natural ecosystem.
The group believes that a comprehensive restoration plan would be necessary to reverse the environmental damage and safeguard the forest’s ecological functions for future generations.
Renews call for National Park status
CCAL has also renewed its longstanding appeal to the government to upgrade the Atewa Forest Reserve to National Park status.
It said granting the forest the highest possible level of national protection would strengthen its long-term conservation framework, protect its rich biodiversity and safeguard the water resources on which numerous communities depend.
The group urged the government to expedite the necessary processes towards achieving the proposed status, describing it as an important step towards ensuring the permanent protection of the forest.
CCAL pledges stakeholder collaboration
Reaffirming its position, CCAL said the real success of Operation Green Shield should not be measured by the temporary absence of illegal miners but by the permanent protection and ecological recovery of the Atewa Forest Reserve.
It described the forest as a critical national ecological asset and watershed that serves as a lifeline for present and future generations.
The group further expressed its readiness to collaborate with the government, traditional authorities, civil society organisations, local communities and other stakeholders to ensure that the operation delivers lasting environmental benefits.
CCAL urged the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and NAIMOS to sustain the momentum of the ongoing intervention, warning against allowing the operation to become another temporary response to Ghana’s persistent illegal mining challenge.
It said Operation Green Shield must mark the beginning of a new chapter in the protection and restoration of the Atewa Forest rather than another short-term intervention that fails to address the underlying environmental crisis.
The statement was signed by the Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL).
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Nhyiraba Solomon Nartey
