Ghana bans mining in forest reserves after massive public campaign values trees over gold

In a landmark victory for environmental protection, Ghana’s government officially revoked controversial mining legislation on December 10, 2025, following a powerful grassroots campaign that united citizens around the principle that forests are worth more than gold. The repealed Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, passed in 2022, had opened nearly 90% of Ghana’s forest reserves to mining operations, threatening over 9 million hectares (22 million acres) of crucial ecosystems and globally significant biodiversity areas.

The 2022 legislation represented what many considered the worst environmental policy in Ghana’s history, accelerating destruction in a country already ranked among the world’s top three for mining-related deforestation. As Africa’s largest gold producer, Ghana has seen industrial mining become the leading driver of forest loss, while illegal small-scale mining operations known as “galamsey” have further devastated natural areas. Under the controversial regulations, the government issued mining permits at record speed while illegal miners increasingly invaded protected forest reserves.

The successful campaign to overturn this legislation brought together an unprecedented coalition of civil society organizations, religious institutions, trade unions, and ordinary citizens who recognized that Ghana’s forests provide irreplaceable services including water provision, climate regulation, and support for forest-dependent communities. However, activists acknowledge that banning mining in forest reserves, while significant, represents just the first step in a longer battle to protect Ghana’s remaining natural heritage from ongoing destruction by both legal and illegal mining operations.