Double Illegality: Ghana's Forests Face Mining and Timber Exploitation

For residents of Aboaboso in Ghana's Ashanti Region, the forest once provided essential resources. Now, 60-year-old Aunty Maggie recalls a time when the community could rely on the forest and its water. Today, that memory is fading as illegal mining pollutes the water, forcing residents to buy sachet water even for trips to the farm.

The destruction extends beyond just trees; it means untrustworthy water, strained farmland, and a diminishing natural resource. Environmental experts are increasingly concerned about a "double illegality": as galamsey opens up forest areas, it also facilitates the illegal harvesting and movement of timber.

Forest reserves like Oda River, established in 1931, are suffering. Visits reveal abandoned mining pits, damaged vegetation, and tree stumps. The Oda River itself is visibly affected by mud, silt, and erosion. This degradation impacts the ecological services the reserve provides, including water protection and biodiversity conservation.

Data from Global Forest Watch Ghana indicates Ghana lost about 1.9 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2025. A 2025 study on the Oda River Forest Reserve found that the area impacted by illegal mining surged from 52.78 hectares in 2018 to over 1,059 hectares, highlighting the escalating environmental crisis.

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We can no longer use it for anything because it has been heavily polluted by illegal miners. Now, we buy sachet water when we are going to farm.