GhanaWeb Feature by Joycelyn Kyei-Baffuor

Illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, is a persistent challenge in Ghana.

The practice continues to endanger forests, cocoa farms, water bodies, and the environment and polluting water bodies and threatening livelihoods and public health.

Over the past decade, successive governments have spearheaded a number of interventions, including Operation Vanguard, to curb the menace.

However, despite these efforts, illegal mining is still rife in some communities in the country.

On Monday, April 14, 2025, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, commissioned 453 recruits under the ministry’s Blue Water Guards initiative.

The initiative, which was launched on March 17, 2025, is aimed at restoring polluted water bodies through continuous surveillance.

It is part of the interventions by the government to tackle illegal mining.

The 453 recruits have completed four weeks of intensive training at the Naval Operating Base at Ezinlibo, in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region, and have been equipped with skills in surveillance, survival, swimming, boat handing and basic combat.

They will collaborate with the Ghana Navy to combat illegal mining activities in major water bodies, including Ankobra, Pra, Tano and Bonsa rivers.

During the passing out ceremony, Armah-Kofi Buah entreated the recruits to uphold integrity and professionalism as they discharge their duties.

“Your role is critical. You are the eyes, ears, and first point of contact, working with traditional leaders and the local communities to safeguard our water bodies from illegal mining. Your duty is to observe, report, and escalate threats to the Ghana Navy Riverine Command Unit promptly," he stated.

He warned that breaches of their code of conduct would attract strict sanctions, urging them to demonstrate the highest levels of discipline.

As parts of efforts to improve rapid response, Temporary Operating Bases (TOBs) have been set up along the Ankobra, Fia, Bonsa, and downstream Pra rivers for coordinated surveillance.

The minister also announced plans to expand the initiative to the Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Bono, and Savannah regions, creating over 2,000 direct jobs while protecting water bodies and forests from illegal mining.

The Deputy Minister of Defence, Brogya Genfi, also reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to support the initiative.

“Illegal mining is one of the greatest threats to our nation. Its devastating effects — poisoned water bodies, destroyed farmlands, and intergenerational harm — demand urgent action. The Blue Water Guards are fully empowered, backed by strong institutional support," he noted.

Despite the renewed commitment to safeguard water bodies, the initiative has sparked conversations about sustainability, and how the Blue Water Guards will tackle heavily armed illegal miners.

The Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has questioned the effectiveness of the initiative, arguing that it is a waste of resources.

“We don’t see the strategy as going to be effective; we wish that it was scrapped entirely. What exactly are they going to do? Are they going to do anything different from what past administrations have done?

“We need resources to rehabilitate degraded land and to clean the rivers. We don’t need to be spending those resources on things like river guards,” he emphasised.

He further entreated the government to redirect resources into empowering residents in mining communities to report miners encroaching on these sites.

As the Blue Water Guards begin their assignment, it remains to be seen if they will succeed in salvaging the country's water bodies.

JKB/AE

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