The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Nana Ama Brown Klutse, has disclosed that about $35 million will be required to fully restore the heavily polluted Birim River following years of environmental damage caused by illegal mining.
Prof. Klutse made the revelation during an interview on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at Kyebi-Adukrom in the Eastern Region, where a pilot application of ionic nano copper technology is being tested to rehabilitate sections of the river.
She explained that although the pilot intervention has already produced visible improvements in treated portions of the water body, scaling the technology across the entire river will require substantial financial resources.
According to her, it costs approximately $200,000 to procure enough ionic nano copper technology to treat one kilometre of a flowing river. With the Birim River stretching about 175 kilometres, the estimated total cost of restoration stands at roughly $35 million.
“It took us about $200,000 to procure an amount that will clean one kilometre of every flowing river body. The Birim River is about 175 kilometres, so you can do the mathematics — we are talking about $35 million,” she said in an interview with Accra-based Channel One TV.
Prof. Klutse noted that while early results from the pilot project are encouraging, sustained funding will be essential to restore the river to acceptable environmental standards.
The Birim River has suffered significant degradation in recent years due to illegal mining activities, leading to deteriorating water quality, destruction of aquatic ecosystems, and reduced access to safe water for communities along its banks.
She added that the deployment of ionic nano copper technology forms part of a broader national strategy aimed at rehabilitating polluted water bodies and strengthening long-term water resource management across the country.
