Lands Ministry Resolute in Ensuring Sustainable Management of Ghana’s Natural Resources – Hon. Yusif Sulemana

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the sustainable management of Ghana’s natural resources, as it leads a three-day National Landscape Forum in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, and the World Bank.

The forum, held at the Marriott Hotel in Accra from 2-4th April, 2025 has convened key stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, and private sector representatives, to address the pressing environmental challenges facing the country.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on behalf of the Minister, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Sulemana Yusif, underscored the government’s determination to combat deforestation, land degradation, and illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey.’

He said “Ghana’s forests, minerals, and water bodies are under siege. Illegal mining has reached crisis levels, stripping our land of biodiversity, poisoning our rivers, and endangering public health,”.

Hon. Yusif emphasized that the forum, themed “Natural Resources Management and Forest Economy for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth,” is timely as environmental degradation, pollution, and climate change threaten not only Ghana’s ecosystems but also the livelihoods of its citizens. He outlined a five-pronged strategy adopted by the Ministry to combat these challenges:

• Reforming the small-scale mining licensing regime to enhance transparency.

• Strengthening law enforcement efforts, resulting in the reclamation of seven out of nine forest reserves previously seized by illegal miners.

• Collaborating with communities, traditional leaders, and civil society to foster collective responsibility.

• Providing alternative livelihoods for affected communities to ensure economic resilience.

• Reclaiming and reforesting degraded lands to restore lost ecosystems.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted two key initiatives launched under the government’s 120-day social contract:

• The Blue Water Initiative – A collaboration with the Ghana Navy to train 2,000 community vanguards to protect water bodies, with the first 400 recruits currently undergoing training.

• The Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative – A nationwide afforestation project launched on March 21 to restore mined-out and degraded landscapes.

Hon. Yusif expressed gratitude to the World Bank and other development partners for their continuous support in Ghana’s natural resource sector. He urged all participants to actively engage in discussions and generate bold, practical recommendations that will drive meaningful change.

“As we deliberate over the next three days, let us leave with a renewed commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s natural heritage,” he concluded.

On his part, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Mr. Partick Nimoh, who represented his Minister, Hon. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, said Ghana is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Global Biodiversity Framework which provides a strategic roadmap for halting biodiversity loss and ensuring ecosystem restoration.

He asserted that by aligning our national efforts with this global agenda, the Ministry reaffirm it’s dedication to protecting nature while fostering economic growth.

He hoped that the discussion being engaged in over the next three days will shape the policies and actions that determine the future of Ghana’s natural landscape.

The National Landscape Forum is expected to yield actionable strategies for sustainable environmental management, reinforcing Ghana’s efforts to combat illegal mining, deforestation, and climate change.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the Deputy Chief Executive for General Services at the (EPA), Dr. Jacob Anankware affirms the EPA’s commitment, partnership and mandate to safeguard Ghana’s environment and natural resources to chart sustainable pathways for the future.

He noted that the Nations economy is largely dependent on natural capital which supports livelihoods of more than 50% of the population directly linked to it.

To be able to manage Ghana’s Natural Capital, Mr. Anakware said, there is a need for quality, reliable and timely data which can be generated through Natural Capital Accounting (NCA).

“It will provide us with a corrective lens, a scientific and policy- relevant approach to integrate the value of ecosystem services and natural assets into decision making at the national, sector and district levels”.

He emphasized that compiling natural capital accounting is the first step but applying them to restore landscape, design nature-positive and align public and private sector actions.

The Chief Executive of Forestry Commission, Dr. Hugh Brown, said, inline with the Commission’s mandates to sustainably manage, protect and develop Ghana’s forest and wildlife resources, the Commission is dedicated to ensuring the protection of the natural resources inspite of the dangers its faced.

Dr. Brown indicated that although Ghana has been a global fore- runner in the implementation of the REDD+ program initiative for reducing carbon emissions,however, illegal mining negatively impacted the nations forest and water reserves.

Mr. Brown, reiterated the need for adequate law enforcement that will shift the thinking of illegal miners to focus to preserving Ghana’s natural resources for a better country.

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