Galamsey Encroachment in Ghana’s Forest Reserves Surges 70% from 2021 to 2024 — Ashanti & Western North Hardest Hit

Illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) activities have dramatically expanded within Ghana’s forest reserves, rising from 5,252.9 hectares in 2021 to 8,923.8 hectares as of December 31, 2024, according to a comprehensive survey conducted by the Forestry Commission.

Presenting the findings on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Dr. Ben Torgbor, Operations Manager at the Plantations Department of the Forest Services Division, revealed the alarming scale of degradation and identified the most severely affected regions and reserves.

Regional Breakdown of Encroachment

• Ashanti Region — most impacted with 4,948.9 hectares destroyed
• Western North Region — second highest at 2,195.7 hectares
• Lowest impact recorded in:
  • Savanna Region — 29.5 hectares
  • Central Region — 44.7 hectares

Hardest-Hit Forest Reserves

The survey pinpointed three reserves bearing the brunt of the destruction:

• Oda River Forest Reserve (Ashanti Region)
• Apamprama Forest Reserve (Ashanti Region)
• Upper Wassaw Forest Reserve (Western North Region)

These reserves have suffered extensive deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution, and biodiversity loss due to unregulated mining operations.

Survey Methodology

To ensure accuracy and wide coverage, the Forestry Commission employed a multi-method approach:

• Ground surveys
• Drone mapping
• Expert judgment
• Satellite remote sensing-based verification using historical imagery from Google Earth Pro (a cost-effective tool for tracking changes over time)

Dr. Torgbor highlighted that the combination of technologies allowed for rapid assessment and reliable quantification of affected areas.

Future Monitoring Plans

The Commission announced ambitious plans to develop an artificial intelligence-enabled system capable of automatically detecting and quantifying illegal mining sites within forest reserves. This innovation would provide frequent, near real-time updates, strengthen advocacy efforts, inform policy decisions, and enhance enforcement operations.

Dr. Torgbor also disclosed that the Forestry Commission will publish an updated survey covering the full year 2025 in June 2026, allowing for continuous tracking of trends and the effectiveness of anti-galamsey interventions.

Broader Implications

The report underscores the severe threat galamsey poses to Ghana’s forest ecosystems, water bodies, biodiversity, and long-term climate resilience. With forest reserves serving as critical carbon sinks and sources of livelihood for surrounding communities, the continued encroachment jeopardizes national environmental goals and sustainable development commitments.

The findings add urgency to ongoing government, civil society, and security agency efforts to combat illegal mining, restore degraded lands, and enforce stricter protections for protected forest areas. Stakeholders have called for accelerated reforestation, stronger community engagement, and decisive law enforcement to reverse the damage before irreversible ecological collapse occurs in key reserves.