Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, has revealed plans under President Mahama’s administration to deploy water guards in place of the military in the fight against illegal mining, also known as ‘galamsey.’
He highlighted that the permanent use of the military to protect rivers and water bodies is both costly and unsustainable. Instead, water guards will be assigned the responsibility of safeguarding forest reserves and water bodies.
During his appearance before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on January 27, 2025, Armah-Kofi Buah recognized the efforts of security agencies in the fight against illegal mining under previous governments but stressed the need for a more efficient and cost-effective approach.
He stated that the introduction of water guards would ensure better protection of Ghana’s natural resources while addressing the challenges associated with illegal mining activities.
“We’re already aware of the efforts of the security services, especially when it comes to our polluted waters. Today, as we speak, the state of our rivers is nothing to write home about. The police and the military have played a critical role. If I get a chance as a minister we’re going to evaluate the new programme. For example, I have very new exciting ideas about what to do with the protection of our environment.
“One of the problems I got to know was that it’s not cheap to get the military to continue permanently in these locations. It used to be that they would come to a place and clear everybody [illegal miners], and for 6 months nobody would be there. Now, they come, clear and within one month they come back. So we have to think about new ideas.
“We have forest guards, what about water guards? So these ideas are going to be thought through. I was thinking about the creation of water guards who are going to be trained and they are going to fight for the soul of the country.”
