Illegal mining activities in Ghana’s forest reserves expanded significantly to 8,923.8 hectares as of December 31, 2024, up by 5,252.9 hectares since 2021, according to a survey conducted by the Forestry Commission of Ghana.
The report identified the Ashanti Region as the most affected, with 4,948.9 hectares impacted, followed by the Western North Region with 2,195.7 hectares. The least affected regions were the Savanna Region, recording 29.5 hectares, and the Central Region with 44.7 hectares.
Presenting the findings on Tuesday, Dr Ben Torgbor, Operations Manager at the Plantations Department of the Forest Services Division, said the most heavily degraded forest reserves include the Oda River Forest Reserve and Apamprama Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region, as well as the Upper Wassaw Forest Reserve in the Western North Region.
He explained that the survey used multiple methodologies, including ground assessments, drone mapping and expert analysis, supported by satellite remote sensing verification to ensure accuracy and broader coverage of affected areas. Historical imagery from Google Earth Pro was also analysed as a cost-effective approach to track changes over time.
Dr Torgbor disclosed that the Commission plans to introduce an artificial intelligence-enabled system to automatically detect and quantify illegal mining activities in forest reserves. The technology, he said, will support policy decisions, strengthen advocacy efforts and provide more frequent monitoring updates.
He added that an updated survey covering forest reserves affected by illegal mining in 2025 is expected to be published in June 2026.
