$35m needed to fully restore Birim River – EPA

The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Nana Ama Brown Klutse, has disclosed that an estimated $35 million will be required to completely clean up the Birim River, which has been heavily polluted by illegal mining activities.

Speaking to Citi News during a pilot application of ionic nano copper technology at Kyebi-Adukrom in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, February 24, Professor Klutse explained that while early results show visible improvement in treated sections of the river, scaling the intervention across the entire stretch will demand substantial funding.

According to her, it costs about $200,000 to procure enough of the technology to clean one kilometre of a flowing river body, adding that the authority would need about $35 million to restore the river

“It took us about $200,000 to procure an amount that will clean one kilometre of every flowing river body. Birim River is about 175 kilometres, so you can do the mathematics we are talking about $35 million,” she said.

Professor Klutse added that although the pilot intervention has demonstrated promising results within a short period, sustained financial commitment will be crucial to restoring the river to acceptable environmental standards.

The Birim River has suffered significant degradation in recent years due to illegal mining, which has severely affected water quality, disrupted aquatic ecosystems, and reduced access to safe water for surrounding communities.