GoldBod Invests GH¢35m to Restore Tano Nimri Forest
GoldBod Commits GH¢35 Million to Restore Tano Nimri Forest Reserve
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is investing GH¢35 million in efforts to restore parts of the Tano Nimri Forest Reserve in the Western North Region after illegal mining caused extensive damage to the area.
The reclamation project is targeting 60 hectares of degraded land in Compartment 161 of the reserve, where unauthorised mining activities between 2021 and 2024 left behind deep pits, damaged woodland and unstable ground.
Project information indicates that illegal mining affected approximately 192.4 hectares of woodland, raising concerns about the forest’s biodiversity and long-term ecological health.
Samuel Danso, Sustainability Manager, said a major incursion by illegal miners in 2022 caused serious damage to the area’s biodiversity and timber concessions previously managed by Samatex Timber Company.
The scale of the destruction has made natural regeneration difficult in some sections of the reserve. Without substantial land restoration work, the damaged terrain could remain vulnerable to erosion and other environmental problems.
GoldBod has therefore brought in the Ghana Armed Forces Engineer Regiment to carry out major earthworks and civil engineering activities as part of the GH¢35 million intervention.
The operation is being conducted under the command of Major Shem Adolinama.
The reclamation team is focusing on making the damaged land safer and preparing it for the next stage of environmental recovery.
Work includes filling dangerous mining pits, reshaping unstable ground and improving soil conditions by excavating and blending wet mud with dry soil. Engineers are also constructing drainage channels to manage water flow and reduce the risk of sediment entering the Tano River.
These measures are intended to limit further erosion, improve the stability of the land and create better conditions for vegetation to grow again.
As the engineering work nears completion, crews are levelling and grading the site in preparation for the ecological restoration phase.
GoldBod and the military engineering team are expected to hand over the reclaimed 60-hectare area to the Forestry Commission in the coming weeks.
The handover will allow the Commission to begin the next phase, which is expected to involve tree planting and the regeneration of indigenous vegetation.
While the engineering work addresses the immediate damage caused by mining, restoring the forest’s ecosystem will require further efforts to help vegetation recover and protect the area over time.
The planned transition marks an important step in moving the project from land reclamation to longer-term environmental rehabilitation.
GoldBod says the initiative forms part of its wider commitment to environmental sustainability and efforts to address the damage associated with illegal mining.
The Tano Nimri project highlights the scale of work that may be needed to restore forest land after mining operations leave behind deep pits, disturbed soil and damaged vegetation.
Beyond reclaiming the targeted land, the project also seeks to reduce environmental risks and support the recovery of an important natural resource.
GoldBod maintains that economic activity and environmental protection must go hand in hand, with the restoration of degraded land playing a role in safeguarding Ghana’s natural heritage for future generations.
Related posts:
Four armed suspects arrested in Ghana anti-galamsey raid along Ankobra River 
Ghana’s new gold export rule starts Sept. 1: What changes and why it matters 
Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings Assumes Office as Environment Minister 
Ankobra River Cleared of Changfan Machines – Lands Minister 
1 Million in Artisanal Mining Should Make Us Think — Germany 
