Radiant Media has called on the government to rethink Ghana’s approach to combating illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, advocating a community-based strategy that gives traditional authorities and local residents a leading role in protecting water bodies and lands.
The media organisation argues that Ghana’s reliance on military operations, taskforces and enforcement campaigns over the past decade has failed to deliver lasting results, as illegal mining activities continue to threaten rivers, cocoa farms and water treatment systems.
In a policy investigation titled “Rethinking National Approach in Galamsey Fight for a More Community-Based Approach,” Radiant Media cited persistent pollution of rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin and Birim, as evidence of the challenges confronting the country’s anti-galamsey campaign.
It also pointed to concerns about rising water treatment costs, environmental degradation and the continued return of illegal miners to sites after security personnel withdraw.
Radiant Media identified four major factors contributing to the challenges facing the national anti-galamsey campaign: limited community ownership, weak accountability, alleged corruption and the lack of alternative livelihoods for young people.
According to the organisation, security taskforces often operate in affected communities for limited periods, while residents remain behind and may protect illegal miners because of family ties and economic dependence on mining.
It also argued that traditional authorities and district-level officials should play more direct roles in managing local mining activities and protecting water bodies.
The investigation further raised concerns about alleged corruption involving seized mining equipment and political financing of illegal mining, arguing that such practices undermine public confidence in enforcement efforts.
Radiant Media maintained that efforts to eradicate galamsey must also address unemployment and poverty, particularly among young people in mining communities such as Dunkwa, Tarkwa and Konongo.
To address these challenges, Radiant Media proposed a five-pillar framework that would shift greater responsibility for the daily fight against illegal mining to affected communities.
The first proposal calls for traditional authorities to be given a stronger role in protecting rivers and enforcing mining restrictions on their lands.
Under the proposed arrangement, traditional councils would have a legally defined role in designating river buffer zones as no-mining areas.
The organisation also suggested accountability measures for chiefs who permit illegal mining on stool lands.
The second pillar involves establishing community river guards made up of local youth who would receive stipends, protective equipment and tools such as motorbikes and drones to monitor mining activities.
Radiant Media claimed that illegal mining sites had declined by 40 per cent in some pilot districts under similar arrangements, although it did not provide details of the locations, methodology or data supporting the figure.
The third proposal centres on properly regulated community mining cooperatives.
Under this model, youth groups would be registered and allocated geologically surveyed mining areas away from rivers.
Members would receive training in mercury-free gold processing, with their gold sold through the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
The organisation believes the arrangement could make legal mining more attractive than illegal operations while creating jobs for young people.
Its fourth proposal calls for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to publish monthly water-quality test results on public notice boards.
Radiant Media said district officials should be required to explain deteriorating water quality to residents at community durbars, thereby strengthening local accountability.
The fifth pillar seeks greater representation for women and farmers in district mining committees, proposing that they occupy at least 30 per cent of membership.
The organisation argued that women, cocoa farmers and other residents who depend directly on local water bodies and land must have a stronger voice in decisions concerning mining activities.
Radiant Media stressed that a community-based approach should not mean a relaxation of the law.
Instead, it proposed that residents help identify illegal mining operators, provide evidence to support police investigations and facilitate faster prosecution through district-level court proceedings.
It also recommended that young people be paid to undertake environmental reclamation, with payments linked to trees planted and their survival.
The organisation cited comments attributed to a 24-year-old youth leader, Ama Serwaa, who reportedly argued that local residents knew the individuals involved in illegal mining and could help stop the practice peacefully if given the necessary authority.
A traditional leader in the Ashanti Region was also quoted as saying that security personnel could leave mining communities while abandoned or active pits remained, making local participation essential to protecting the environment.
The identities of the individuals and the locations of the reported pilot projects were not provided in the investigation.
In its concluding assessment, Radiant Media argued that galamsey should be treated as a community-level problem with national consequences, rather than relying predominantly on centralised enforcement operations.
The organisation urged the national government to shift from acting primarily as the commander of anti-galamsey operations to becoming an enabler of community-led initiatives through funding, legislation, training and institutional support.
It said communities would be better positioned to monitor illegal mining on a daily basis if they had access to clean water, lawful employment opportunities and accountable traditional leadership.
Radiant Media maintained that a community-based strategy would complement national enforcement rather than replace it, arguing that sustainable progress would require stronger local participation alongside effective policing and prosecution.
