If deliberate efforts are not made to eliminate illicit mining, Dr. Henry Ofosu Addo, an environmental parasitologist and researcher, has projected that Ghana may need to import water in the future (galamsey).
He claimed that the environment and Ghana’s stunning water bodies, which nature had gifted the country with, were tied to human health but that these were slowly being destroyed by unpatriotic and economically self-seeking Ghanaians.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, Dr. Addo, a former lecturer at the Catholic University of Ghana, made the prediction while discussing the effects of “galamsey” activities on the environment. He added that rivers played significant roles in the socio-cultural and religious lives of many people in Ghana and had served Ghanaians since the beginning of time.
He claimed that for the vast majority of Ghanaians, rivers were their primary source of water for both drinking and other domestic needs. He therefore made an appeal to the government and all patriotic Ghanaians not to show apathy by allowing the “galamseyers” (illegal miners) to devastate the country’s water bodies.
Dr. Addo voiced concern over the leakage of hazardous substances like mercury into water bodies during illicit mining operations, which might have fatal effects such as the extinction of all aquatic life.
“The fishes in the water take the mercury in and are harvested for human beings to consume, thereby killing ourselves indirectly,” he emphasized.
According to Dr. Addo, illicit mining operations released a substantial amount of mercury into the air, severely damaging the land and water and raising worries about human health, including brain damage and other health issues.
“We all need to pay attention to the situation since ‘galamsey’ has become a systemic problem not only restricted to small parts of the country, but it is widespread nationwide destroying our water bodies and threatening our existence,” he stated.
“The situation will be disastrous, and posterity will not forgive us if we remain unconcerned.”
