Lake Bosomtwe Is Under Siege”: Erastus Asare Donkor Warns Illegal Mining Threats on Ghana’s Only Natural Lake
Award-winning journalist and anti-galamsey campaigner Erastus Asare Donkor has sounded the alarm over what he describes as the growing threat of illegal mining around Lake Bosomtwe, warning that the environmental treasure is at serious risk if urgent action is not taken.
In a zoom interview on Kessben TV’s Digest show, Donkor asserted that illegal mining activities in the Bosomtwe District have spread far beyond a single community, with armed men allegedly protecting mining sites and making enforcement difficult.
He revealed that illegal mining in the Apamprama Forest, a key area within the Lake Bosomtwe catchment, began around 2018 but went largely unchecked until 2024. He claimed that by then, more than half of the forest had already been destroyed, blaming years of inaction by authorities.
Donkor cautioned that once gold is discovered in an area, miners quickly flock to the site, making it increasingly difficult to stop the destruction unless authorities intervene immediately.
While acknowledging the efforts of the National Intelligence and Monitoring System (NIMOS), he argued that the agency cannot win the fight against galamsey alone. He called for a decentralized response, proposing that local response teams made up of indigenous residents be stationed permanently around the lake to monitor and tackle illegal mining before it escalates.
He also criticized what he described as a reactive approach by national authorities, saying it is ineffective for response teams to settle in Accra in waiting for reports before taking action.
Donkor further expressed disappointment over comments reportedly made by the Bosomtwe District Chief Executive, Engr. Abdullah Hamidu, who allegedly dismissed the activities as something other than galamsey and claimed they were not close to the lake. The anti-galamsey crusader maintained that the threat to the Lake Bosomtwe ecosystem is real and urged local authorities to take decisive action.
He warned that unless immediate measures are taken, continued illegal mining around the lake’s catchment could have devastating consequences for Ghana’s only natural lake, its surrounding forests, biodiversity, tourism, and the livelihoods of communities that depend on it
