Ghana: Community complicity undermining fight against galamsey,says Odoom

An environmental scientist at the University of Ghana, Dr. Ekua Odoom, says community complicity is significantly undermining efforts to combat illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, despite renewed government interventions.

Dr. Odoom, a researcher at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS), made the remarks during a roundtable discussion on “John Mahama 2.0 – Thematic Assessment of Year One”, aired on Channel One TV on Tuesday, January 13, and hosted by Bernard Avle.

According to her, many communities in illegal mining areas have adapted their livelihoods to support galamsey operations, including providing advance warnings to miners whenever enforcement teams are approaching.

She noted that while the Mahama administration has shown renewed intent in addressing illegal mining through military enforcement, legal reforms, and evidence-based policies, community cooperation remains a critical missing link.

Dr. Odoom pointed to the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAMOS) and recent arrests and equipment seizures as evidence of progress, but warned that temporary task force deployments are often ineffective because illegal miners are tipped off and vacate sites before security personnel arrive.

She stressed that the fight against galamsey cannot be won through enforcement alone, calling for aggressive civic education, environmental campaigning, and mindset change within affected communities.

Dr. Odoom also urged the government to strengthen and empower regulatory institutions, including the Environmental Protection Authority and the Water Resources Commission, to ensure sustained enforcement.

She says tackling illegal mining requires collective responsibility, warning that without community buy-in, enforcement efforts will continue to face setbacks.