The Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) says it is constantly engaging Civil Society Organizations and other international environmental groups to come out with best practices to mine the Atewa Forest Reserve of its rich bauxite deposits.
In an interview with Citi News, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GIADEC, Michael Ansah, said his outfit is open to input from stakeholders.
“As I speak, GIADEC has started some significant pieces of work here. We are doing mineral resources estimates, we are carrying out biodiversity and hydraulic studies to give us baseline information, and we are going to use all this information to develop an environmental impact assessment. So I want to assure the people of Akyem Abuakwa that the work that we are going to do here will be very responsive to the environment”.
Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have kicked against mining in the Atewa forest. Some of sued government over the issue.
Mr. Ansah said his outfit has been engaging with the CSOs to listen to their concerns.
“Some Civil Society Organizations have made comments on what we are doing and A-Rocha is one of them. We have been talking to several of them more than 20 or even 30. They have come to our offices. We have dealt with them in various places, and we are constantly engaging to make sure that we understand what their concerns are.”
“As I speak we know that there are different countries and places where some of these things have been done before, and they were done in the right way. What GIADEC is doing is to deliver best practices that are globally world-class so that we do it the right way.”
“We have listened to A-Rocha, we have listened to the others and several international environmental groups, and we are still speaking to them and will continue to do that to make sure we do things responsively.”
On her part, Okyehema Nana Dokua, who is also a board member of GIADEC, assured the residents that the bauxite mining will not manifest the same degradation and destruction of farmlands and water bodies as seen in illegal mining.
