Executive Director of Climate Voice Global, Josephine Agbeko, has raised strong concerns over the disproportionate impact of illegal mining (galamsey) on rural communities, insisting that those most affected by the damage are not the ones responsible for it.

Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on Repealing L.I. 2462 on Thursday, May 8, Madam Agbeko highlighted how rural populations, who contribute the least to environmental degradation, are forced to endure polluted water sources, damaged farmlands, and worsening climate-related challenges.

“Those who are most impacted by the consequences of these mining operations are not the ones causing the most harm. It’s our rural communities who are suffering the most,” she stated.

She further criticised the powerful interests benefiting financially from destructive mining operations, accusing them of exploiting Ghana’s natural resources without offering any meaningful return to national or community development.

According to Madam Agbeko, Legislative Instrument 2462, which permits regulated mining in forest reserves, only deepens the crisis already burdening the country’s most vulnerable groups.

“The intersection of this L.I. and the ongoing illegal mining across our forests and rural communities raises serious questions about environmental stewardship and, more importantly, about climate justice,” she noted.

She called for policy reforms that prioritise the welfare of those most at risk, while ensuring the protection of Ghana’s natural resources for future generations.