Erastus Asare Donkor Documents GoldBod-Led GH¢35m Land Reclamation at Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve

Environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has visited the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve to document progress on a GH¢35 million land reclamation project being led by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to rehabilitate lands degraded by illegal mining.

During the visit, the renowned environmental journalist filmed ongoing reclamation works at Compartment 161 of the reserve, where GoldBod, in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces Engineer Regiment, is undertaking engineering interventions to restore 50 hectares of severely degraded land and prepare the site for reforestation.

In his documentary report, Erastus captured the scale of the environmental damage left by illegal mining and the ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the affected landscape.

In an interview, Samuel Danso, Sustainability Manager at Samatex Company Limited, said the scale of the damage, particularly following a major illegal mining invasion in 2022, had seriously compromised biodiversity and timber concessions previously managed by Samatex Timber Company.

Mr. Asare Donkor also interviewed Major Shem Adolinama, who leads the Ghana Armed Forces Engineer Regiment team on the project as he detailed the conditions the team encountered on site and explained how they have worked to backfill the extensive mining pits as part of efforts to rehabilitate the degraded landscape.

“The plan was to first tackle the pits that were identified by covering them and level the entire area. In our recognizance, we identified 10 major pits even though there were many smaller ones all with large volumes of water,” he indicated.

He added that even though it was a daunting task, he and his team have been successful; revealing that the site will soon be handed over to the Forestry Commission for reforestation and the regeneration of indigenous plant species.

Illegal mining contributed to the destruction of approximately 192.4 hectares of woodland in the area between 2021 and 2024.

The damage left behind deep mining pits, unstable terrain and disturbed soils, posing challenges to ecological recovery and threatening the surrounding environment.

The reclamation works captured during the visit include backfilling mining pits, blending mud with dry soil to stabilise the terrain, grading and levelling the landscape, and constructing drainage channels to manage surface runoff and reduce the risk of silt entering the Tano River.

GoldBod's leadership of the project underscores the Board's commitment to addressing the environmental consequences of illegal mining through practical land restoration measures and collaboration with relevant public institutions.

Erastus Asare Donkor's visit provides an on-the-ground account of the progress being made and the scale of work required to restore degraded forest landscapes. It also brings into focus GoldBod's ongoing intervention to rehabilitate damaged land, protect water resources and support the recovery of Ghana's environmental heritage.