‘We are harming ourselves with galamsey’
– WACAM Executive Director
The Executive Director of WACAM, Mrs. Hannah Owusu‑Koranteng, has warned that Ghanaians are “harming ourselves” through destructive environmental practices, especially illegal mining, deforestation, and unsustainable land use.
Speaking on the topic: “Threats to Ecological Justice: The Role of Civil Society Organisations” at the 5th National Public Lecture and World Environment Day Commemoration at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, she said God’s plan for humanity has always been one of stewardship and care for creation.
Mrs. Owusu‑Koranteng explained that ecological justice is not only a scientific or technical matter but also a spiritual and moral responsibility. She noted that human activities have caused severe land degradation globally, with about 25% of the Earth’s land surface affected by deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, urbanisation, and mining.
“We are not separated from nature,” she said. “When we destroy the environment, we destroy ourselves.” She added that modern environmental thinking increasingly recognises nature as a rights‑bearing partner, not merely property for human exploitation. “Nature is now treated as a collective legal entity with the right to exist, persist, and regenerate,” she explained, emphasising that this shift demands a new attitude toward ecological justice.
Mrs. Owusu‑Koranteng stressed that people act better when they are informed, and therefore civil society, communities, and the Church must work together to address environmental destruction. “We need to encourage partnerships. The church must be part of the fight against galamsey,” she said, urging faith communities to use their moral authority to influence behaviour and policy.
She outlined several roles civil society must play, including supporting healthy land programmes, linking research to advocacy, mobilising communities and churches for collective action, and promoting indigenous knowledge in natural resource management.
She also highlighted natural factors such as climate shifts, prolonged droughts, heavy rainfall, and flash floods, which worsen land degradation and threaten livelihoods. Mrs. Owusu‑Koranteng called for stronger legal frameworks to guarantee public participation in environmental justice, stressing the need for access to environmental information and transparency in decision‑making.
She urged deliberate inclusion of women, youth groups, religious bodies, indigenous peoples, and marginalised communities in environmental governance. “We must be intentional about supporting inclusive participation,” she said. “Only then can we build a just and sustainable future.”
