The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is investing approximately GH¢35 million in a reclamation and reforestation project to restore forest land destroyed by illegal mining at the Tano Nimri Forest Reserve near Samreboi in the Western Region.

The initiative, being implemented in partnership with the Ghana Armed Forces and the Forestry Commission, will initially cover 50 hectares, with plans to rehabilitate about 200 hectares of degraded land in the reserve.

The project falls under GoldBod’s National Reclamation and Environmental Restoration Programme and its Environmental, Social and Governance commitments.

Military engineers are nearing completion of the civil engineering works in Compartment 161 of the reserve before handing over the site to the Forestry Commission for afforestation and ecological restoration.

A GoldBod field report indicates that engineers have filled 10 major mining pits and are completing land levelling, following work to drain waterlogged excavations, stabilise the soil and reshape the damaged terrain.

The field report recorded 192.4 hectares of land destroyed between 2021 and 2024, while project documents use an estimated 200 hectares to represent the broader affected area.

Samuel Danso, Sustainability Manager at Samartex Timber and Plywood Company, described the destruction as extensive, noting that the depth of the excavations made recovery difficult without substantial reclamation work.

GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi described the intervention as a national responsibility, despite the damage having occurred before the Board was established.

He said the programme reflected the institution’s commitment to responsible resource management and environmental protection. Of the estimated GH¢35 million budget, GH¢27.9 million has been allocated to civil engineering works, while GH¢7.2 million is projected for afforestation over 10 years.

Forestry Commission Chief Executive Dr Hugh Brown said the project would support biodiversity conservation, watershed protection and the long-term sustainability of forest resources, and appealed to corporate institutions and development partners to support similar initiatives.

Professor Ishmael Quaicoe, Director of Responsible Mining at the United Nations University, said a further 100 hectares of degraded forest land would be reclaimed next year, with the Tano Nimri project expected to serve as a pilot for future restoration efforts.