The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, has thrown her support behind calls for the President to declare a state of emergency on water bodies, citing the devastating impact of illegal mining on Ghana’s rivers.

According to her, all forms of mining in water bodies are illegal, and no licenses are issued for such activities.

In an interview on JoyNews' The Probe on Sunday, March 16, she noted that immediate action must be taken to halt these operations, as the pollution of major rivers across the country has reached critical levels.

"All activities in that category must stop because any form of mining in our water bodies is completely illegal. No license is given to any person or group to mine in our rivers, so it is a no-go area. That was one of the first things I tackled because we are aware of how much our water bodies have been polluted," she stated.

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Prof Browne Klutse described the situation as a national emergency, highlighting that nearly every major river in the country has been contaminated. Beyond the environmental impact, she warned of broader threats posed by illegal mining, including risks to national security, forests, communities, and even the staff of the Forestry Commission.

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"This is a threat to us all. I fully support the President in declaring a state of emergency on illegal mining activities.

"In my opinion, we can even start by focusing on the water bodies because the situation is urgent. I don’t know if I’m the only one seeing this as an emergency, but all Ghanaians must be part of this fight," she added.