Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP)

  Stakeholder Engagement on the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP) Continues On May 26, 2022, the indigenes of Tarkwa and Prestea Huni Valley, towns popularly known for gold mining in the country, were engaged to be educated on the project's deliverables in their districts as well as gather their opinions on how best to eradicate this social canker "galamsey" known to be destroying vast lands all over the country. Dr. John K. Krugu, the National Project Coordinator of the GLRSSMP, mentioned that the licensing process will be further simplified to grant every small-scale miner the opportunity to transition to legal mining and be under the purview of the regulatory institutions to guide them to the right thing and reap the benefits that come with it as well. He went on to say that the Ministry's efforts in line with geological investigations will not only help in allocating mineable areas and providing adequate information on conc

  INCEPTION MEETING On Thursday, May 5, 2022, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources' (MLNR) Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) held an inception meeting at the Cofkans Hotel in Obuasi to engage key stakeholders on the project operational districts and regions as part of sensitization and awareness creation on the deliverables of the GLRSSMP and also to devise a long-term and sustainable solution to illegal mining issues in the country. The engagement provided an opportunity for the PCU and other implementation agencies to further explain project goals, core initiatives, and key activities that will occur in each project district and region. The Project Coordinator, Dr. John K. Krugu in his delivery, indicated that efforts are being put in place by the government to sanitise the Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) industry in the country. This will be enforced by requiring large and small-scale miners to adopt and use internationally approved, sustainable, and environmentally

  STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND AWARENESS CREATION ON L.I 2404 TRACKING OF EARTH MOVING AND MINING EQUIPMENT On Tuesday, April 12,2022, the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) of the GLRSSMP in collaboration with the Minerals Commission engaged stakeholders (Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, GNASSM) in Kumasi on L.I. 2404 (tracking of earth moving and mining equipment) as part of awareness creation and sensitization towards the implementation of the L.I and the establishment of a tracking system on earth moving and mining equipment. The Minerals Commission’s CEO, Mr. Martin Kwaku Ayisi, in his delivery, explained in layman’s terms the L.I. 2404, spelling out the goals of the regulation and how it will be efficiently implemented.   He added that the implementation will begin with piloting in Tarkwa, Ghana's Western Region. He disclosed that the efficiency of identification and tracking of earth moving and mining equipment of all mining concessions or companies relied on

  INAUGURATION OF SIX DISTRICT MINING COMMITTEES IN THE WESTERN NORTH REGION The battle against illegal m ining requires the collective and nationalistic effort of every Ghanaian, Hon. George Mireku Duker, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of mines has said. On Thursday, April 7, 2022, Hon. George Mireku Duker inaugurated six (6) district mining committees in the Western region of Ghana. In his delivery, he stated that the country’s battle in protecting the water bodies requires the effort of each and every Ghanaian. The Government is determined to curb illegal mining and its effect on our water bodies but the government’s effort will prove futile if it doesn’t have the support of stakeholders, he added. To the appointed members of the respective committees, Hon. Duker, served a reminder that they have been entrusted with a difficult and delicate job which is of national importance. He added that Ghanaians, will look to them to take measures to prot

  DESK STUDY WORKSHOP FOR SELECTED BLOCKED OUT AREAS From the 13 th to the 18 th of March 2022, a desk study workshop on selected blocked out areas to inform airborne geophysical survey and geological investigation was organized for representatives from Minerals Commission, Ghana Geological Survey Authority, and the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP) at the Eastern Premier Hotel in Koforidua. As part of the Government’s effort to provide access to mineable lands for Artisanal and Small-scale miners (ASM) and improve the understanding of the national geology and subsoil resources, airborne geo-physics and geological surveys has been identified to support geological investigation of ASM blocked out areas to identify economically viable mineral reserve areas for small-scale mining operations. Currently, approximately 150 areas totaling 5,400 km 2 have been identified and designated for ASM, out of which twenty (20) blocked out areas totalling 167

  INAUGURATION OF AMENFI EAST AND WEST DISTRICT MINING COMMITTEES In GLRSSMP teams’ efforts in strengthening the regulatory framework for Artisanal Small-scale Mining (ASM), with a focus on building the capacity of key government agencies involved in ASM regulation and compliance monitoring, on Thursday, March 17, 2022, inaugurated the Amenfi West and East District Mining Committees.   The committee's mandate, according to The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, Hon. George Mireku Duker , is "to regulate the small-scale mining sector in the municipality, which includes community mining and all licensed small-scale mining firms in the municipality." “It is important that you take this mandate seriously because you have a charge of regularising the mining sector to the satisfaction of Ghanaians. More especially making sure that the river bodies in this district are in a good state as far as this country is concerned,” he said The Dep

THE LAUNCH OF GHANA LANDSCAPE RESTORATION AND SMALL-SCALE MINING PROJECT The Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project(GLRSSMP) a joint World Bank and Government of Ghana project under an IDA credit facility, has been virtually launched on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. The project was approved by the World Bank Board on August 30, 2021 and has a closing date of September 30, 2027. The Government of Ghana (GoG) has in recent years initiated several sectoral reforms to address the challenges in agricultural productivity, forest landscapes management, and sustainable small-scale mining. The GoG initiated ASM regularization to enhance regulatory compliance. Significantly, integrated landscape management over the years have gained increased recognition and has proven to offer solutions to challenges that cut across several sectors. This emphasized the importance of moving beyond single sector interventions in order to take into account the resilience of both ecosystems an