Accra, June 21, GNA - The Coalition of NGOs Against Mining in Atewa, a group of civil society groups on Friday petitioned Parliament to intervene and stop the Government from allowing the mining of bauxite in the Atewa Forest, in the Eastern Region.
Describing the forest “one of Ghana’s most priced assets” the coalition repeated warning from the United States Department of Forest that [GP1] mining in the forest would decimate the forest cover and negatively impact on the lives of humans, animals and vegetation in the area.
Other international environmental organisations have consistently warned the Ghana Government of the damage that mining bauxite in the Atewa Forest will have on the communities and wildlife that depend on this ecosystem.
Consequently, the group, presenting a petition, received by Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, in the company of Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, MP for Wa West and a senior member of the House, said evidence from within the Atewa Forest suggested that government was still going ahead with its plans to mine bauxite in the forest.
“In light of this very recent development, we will like to humbly appeal to Parliament to use your esteem office as the third arm of government to intervene before one of Ghana’s most priced assets is decimated, “ the coalition said.
Mr Daryl Bosu, Deputy National Director (Operation), led the petitioners to present the petition titled “Invoking Parliament’s Oversight Role as Representatives of the People in the Proposed Mining of Atewa Forest for Bauxite for Mining,” in which the coalition raised an alarm on Government communicators going around arguing that Government intends to undertake environmentally friendly bauxite mining at Atewa.
Civil society groups belonging to the Coalition of NGOs against Mining in Atewa Forest, are Green Livelihood Alliance, Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape, KASA Initiative Ghana, Eco Care Ghana, and CSO platform for SDG 15, Plastic Punch and Ghana Youth Environment Movement.
“It should be put on record that there is no such thing as environmentally friendly bauxite mining anywhere in the world,” the group noted.
It urged Parliament to consider the fact that mining in the Atewa Forest, in its current state, violates existing laws of Ghana the Atewa Forest Reserve was duly set up and gazetted based on the Forest Act of 1927 (CAP 157) which sought to create corridors for posterity of forest.
“Atewa Forest is the most important of these special environments in Ghana, and its critical ecosystems must not be jeopardised,” the coalition said, adding that the Atewa Forest is also protected by Ghana’s own forest laws and regulations.
Again, the Forestry Commission is mandated under Act 571 to ensure the protection and sustainable use of Ghana’s forests on behalf of present and future generations of Ghanaians.
“We humbly appeal to Parliament to summon the Forestry Commission to justify (if any) why they are allowing entry into such protected area to be mined which directly breaches the CAP 157 which set up forest reserves,” the coalition said.
It implored the House to effectively play its oversight role and be highly vigilant in ensuring due diligence with regard to contracting agreements that related to bauxite development in Ghana.
“It is now a matter of urgency that Parliament follows the process of due diligence and does not allow any prospecting or mining permits to be issued for bauxite mining in the Atewa Forest thereby ensuring Ghana’s forest laws are properly enforced.
“It is crucial that any bauxite agreements do not contradict Ghana’s laws to protect the forests and people.”
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, assured the coalition that the House, being the representatives of the people will act in the best interest of the people.
He promised that the House would share in the concerns of the group.
The Atewa Forest is one of the world’s Key Biodiversity Areas and the source of clean water for about five million Ghanaians.
It also plays a significant socio-cultural role in the lives of communities that reside within the fringes of the forest, key among them is a source of livelihood for hunters and the multi-million bush-meat trade at Anyinam and its environs.
The coalition cautioned that Government’s plan to mine the Atewa Forest for bauxite will significantly jeopardise the socio-cultural, environmental and aestheic functions of the forest.
Mining the forest will also destroy the habitats of over 100 globally threatened wildlife species.
Bauxite mining also has devastating impacts on the health of local communities as the air becomes polluted with toxic red bauxite dust and the clean water is polluted by heavy metals that leach from the soils exposed by the mining.
Over 20,000 people, including; environmentalists and nature-based NGOs, have signed a petition calling on government to declare Atewa Forest a National Park instead of ‘selling it off’ for mining activities.
A recent Global Forest Watch report also estimated that there was a 60 per cent increase in Ghana’s tropical primary rainforest loss in 2018 compared to 2017, the highest in the world.
In 2016, A Rocha and partners published a report that showed that protecting Atewa Forest as a national park with a well-managed buffer zone around it – rather than mining it for bauxite – has the highest economic value for the country over 25 years, with tremendous benefits to communities both upstream and down.
GNA
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