This may be the third time, if not more, that I have had the occasion of sharing my opinion on the matter of mining, with the El Salvador’s experience.
It looks very obvious that some people want this unregulated and illegal mining in Ghana, to be out of the reaches of discipline. In fact, it looks like mining in general is having field days and every one in that industry is doing what they want without considering the long-term diverse effects this will have on this country.
El Salvador, on March 29, 2017 became the first country in the world to impose a nationwide ban on metal mining, making this water-patched country, a mining-free one, when lawmakers passed the ban, in a unanimous vote declaring El Salvador a mining-free territory.
The decision followed a long and bitter struggle to protect the Central American country’s diminishing water sources from polluting mining projects.
Campaigners holding banners, some reading “No to Mining, Yes to Life,” celebrated inside and outside the legislative assembly in the capital, San Salvador, when the ruling came.
“The vote is a victory for communities who, for more than a decade, have relentlessly organised to keep mining companies out of their territories.
The prohibition ensures the long-term ecological viability of a country already considered one of the most environmentally vulnerable in the world,” said Pedro Cabezas, a member of International Allies Against Mining in El Salvador.
More than 90% of El Salvador’s surface is estimated to be polluted with toxic chemicals, heavy metals and waste matter, from mining.Cyanide and iron have been found in the San Sebastián River, in El Salvador’s La Unión state.
Momentum around a ban had gathered pace since October 2016, when an international tribunal threw out a claim by, OceanaGold, a multinational mining company to force the Salvadoran government to pay out millions in compensation for refusing to let it dig for gold.
The company had backed the campaign opposing the ban, promoting the benefits of responsible mining.
But its claim that it was unfairly refused permission to start digging at its El Dorado mine, in the Cabañas region, was dismissed as without merit and the firm was ordered to pay El Salvador, $8m towards legal costs.
The Salvadoran people and leaders made huge efforts to weigh the short-term benefits from mining with the long-term risks to their water, environment and social wellbeing, and despite the efforts of a company to try to blackmail the country, they showed it is possible to win against significant odds.
In 2009, the left-wing FMLN government initiated a de facto moratorium on metallic mining amid growing anger in threatened rural communities.
In the Cabañas region, where the El Dorado mine is situated, resistance mounted after community station, Radio Victoria, launched a campaign opposing mining in 2008.Cristina Starr, from Radio Victoria, on March 29, 2017 said:
“Today water won over gold. This historic victory is down to the clarity and determination of the Salvadoran people fighting for life over the economic interests of a few.”
In comparison, El Salvador has a total area of 21,041 km² with water covering 1.5% of its surface, or 315.61 km².
By size it is the 148th in the world. With a population of over 6,830,000 people, it ranks 107th in the world and a population density of 324.4/km² makes it rank 26th.
Ghana has a total surface area of 238,535 km², with water covering 4.61% or 11,000 km² of its surface.
By size Ghana ranks 80th in the world.With a population of about 32 million, it ranks 47th in the world and a population density of 101.5 km² making it the 103rd.
Ghanaians might think we have the comfort to relax as our forest and water bodies get degraded by deforestation and pollution, through mining.
By the time things get out of hands, typical of us, instead of thinking out solutions in a united and apolitical manner, we shall have peoples in groups, with these blaming those, and those blaming these, while neither side, knowing really who are to blame.
The other day, some guy who works with a registered small scale mining company, justified the gold-rush, saying these days, farming does not pay.
I hope he realises that when we reach El Salvador’s level before it completely banned all forms of mining, farming will become most lucrative, with food production, very minimal and expensive, as demands will exceed supply.
Though one may have gold in hand, there will be no food to buy. When 90% of our water bodies become toxic and our forest, all gone with our soils polluted, and food production and portable water production nearly impossible, then we shall know that water and food are more valuable than gold.
Government must have the political will and the rest of us the patriotic will, to protect this country from becoming, El Salvador, by regulating mining, introducing best practices and those into mining becoming very responsible by going about their business without destroying our vegetation and water bodies.
The responsibility lies on each and every Ghanaian: politicians, traditional authorities, religious bodies and everyone must be up and doing the right thing for a change.
Ghana and Ghanaians should not consider the short-term benefits of mining, over the long-term risky effects on our waters, environment, and our social well-being.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
The post Any Lessons Learnt (1) Following the Steps of El-Salvador appeared first on The Chronicle News Online.
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