The General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Edward Kareweh, has called on political parties to present clear and pragmatic strategies to combat illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
Addressing the urgent need for effective solutions, he emphasized that tackling this issue is a top priority in discussions with political leaders aiming to govern the country.
Speaking with Evans Mensah on Joy News’ PM Express, Kareweh underscored the severe impact of climate change on agriculture, pointing out that the anticipated seasonal drops in food prices have not occurred due to erratic and insufficient rainfall.
He highlighted that the effects of climate change, compounded by the local problem of illegal mining, are causing significant harm to the agricultural sector.
“People think that climate change is a Western problem, but we are feeling its effects too. Why aren’t we harvesting enough? It’s not just the rains; our lands are destroyed,” Kareweh explained.
“The persistent destruction of land by galamsey without reclamation has a lasting impact, much like the aftermath of a fire.”
Kareweh warned that the widespread participation in illegal mining, which affects 13 out of 16 regions, poses a major threat to agriculture.
“Illegal mining has become the number one threat to agriculture, making the future look bleak,” he stated.
Criticizing political parties for their vague positions on addressing illegal mining, Kareweh said, “We’ve demanded clear plans from political parties on how they will address galamsey. With such extensive land degradation, how can we build irrigation dams when our rivers are destroyed? Any river dammed today would yield polluted water unsuitable for agriculture.”
Kareweh also expressed concern that Ghana could be more severely affected by climate change compared to other countries, due to the extensive damage caused by illegal mining.
He noted that neighboring countries like Burkina Faso are advancing in agricultural irrigation and will soon focus on processing their food crops domestically, rather than exporting them.
“The impact of climate change, combined with illegal mining activities, will severely affect Ghana’s agricultural sector,” Kareweh concluded.
In light of these challenges, the GAWU General Secretary is urging political parties to provide concrete and actionable steps to end galamsey and mitigate its devastating effects on the environment and agriculture.