The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, on Tuesday jointly launched an ambitious land reclamation campaign to restore degraded lands and rehabilitate the polluted Jimi River in the Ashanti Region, marking what officials described as a national crusade against environmental destruction caused by illegal small-scale mining.
The Jimi Land Reclamation and River Watercourse Rehabilitation Project was officially launched on Tuesday, October 14, 2026, at Tasliman in the Adansi Asokwa District, with a royal visit by the Asantehene to Lot 1 of the project site, where he planted a ceiba seedling to symbolise the beginning of restoratio works.
The flagship pilot project targets the restoration of 153 hectares of land upstream of the Jimi Dam and the rehabilitation of the degraded Jimi River watercourse, which serves as a vital source of drinking water for more than 200,000 people in Obuasi and the Adansi Traditional Area.
A Water Crisis Demands Action
The intervention has become urgent following severe environmental destruction caused by illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey. The activities have resulted in stripped vegetation, soil contamination, and toxic sediment runoff, posing a direct threat to the Jimi Dam and the communities that depend on it.
Illegal miners have diverted the course of the Jimi River with heaps of sand, causing heavy siltation and rising turbidity. The dam’s volume is decreasing, resulting in rationing of water to communities. Director of Engineering at AngloGold Ashanti, Ing. Eric Broni, painted a stark picture of the financial toll: “There is a possibility that this year, water abstraction will decrease. When the water level drops, abstraction decreases, but our cost increases. Last year we spent about $584,000 to treat water despite treating less. It is becoming a worry because we have to ration water to other communities”.
The Asantehene, visibly concerned after inspecting the dam, questioned the justification of unemployment as a reason for environmental destruction. “I understand illegal mining has become an option because many young people have no jobs,” he said. “But the fact that the youth do not have jobs should not lead to the destruction of our lands and water bodies.” He issued a stark warning: “We will give birth to deformed babies” if the pollution continues.
Otumfuo also highlighted the destruction of cocoa farms, observing that some people now consider gold more profitable than cocoa. “Water is life, and it is essential for human survival,” he emphasised, calling on government and traditional authorities to collaborate in creating alternative employment opportunities for young people engaged in illegal mining.
A Six-Step Restoration Model
The project, anchored by Manhyia Palace as part of its environmental restoration agenda, is being implemented through a multi-stakeholder partnership. The Ashanti Green Initiative (AGI), led by Oheneba Nana Kwaku Duah — son of the Asantehene — serves as project lead and drives community engagement. AngloGold Ashanti, through its Obuasi Mine under Managing Director Samuel Boakye Pobee, is providing technical and operational support.
The restoration works are structured around a six-step process: backfilling open mining pits and deep gullies; re-grading spoil heaps and terracing steep slopes; containing, capping, or removing heavy-metal soil contamination; installing drainage and erosion control structures to safeguard the river corridor; restoring and enriching topsoil health; and replanting the land with kenaf, a commercial fibre crop.
The project covers approximately 153 hectares across three designated lots in the Obuasi East Municipality and the Adansi Akrofuom and Adansi Asokwa Districts, targeting heavily impacted sites near Gyimisokakraba, Ayease, and Akwesi Ankromakrom.
Kenaf: A Strategic Choice
A key innovation of the project is the selection of kenaf over food crops due to residual heavy-metal contamination risks in the soil. The fast-growing fibre crop will be harvested for manufacturing sacks, rope, and eco-composites, establishing a secure income stream for local farmers.
“We want to ensure that before we plant any food crops, that the soil has been restored into a place where it’s healthy,” Oheneba Nana Kwaku Duah explained. He added that kenaf was selected not only for its potential in phytoremediation — a process that uses plants to remove, contain or reduce contaminants in the environment — but also for its applications in sustainable packaging, aligning with Ghana’s circular economy goals and SDG targets.
The project is projected to generate an estimated annual revenue of $3 million from kenaf cultivation.
Government Commitment and National Implications
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the national campaign against environmental degradation. “Government can only succeed with partnership,” he said, disclosing that approximately 8,000 hectares of 188 forest reserves have been impacted by galamsey, with only 150 hectares reclaimed so far. “80% of water comes from forest reserves, and this goes to the core of human survival. Government is committed to this partnership. The Asantehene’s commitment is a model for all chiefs”.
The Minister stressed that the Jimi model must be replicated across the country to restore degraded landscapes and promote greening.
Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Mahama Ayariga described the project as a national crusade. “What you are doing is the launching of a national crusade for traditional leaders to partner with civil society, mining companies and government to lead the way to restore degraded lands,” he said.
The Government of Ghana is backing the initiative through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) providing regulatory guidance for ecological restoration along the river and buffer zones.
Permitting and Timeline
The Ashanti Green Initiative is awaiting the completion of its permitting process with the EPA before commencing major reclamation works along the Jimi River. Oheneba Nana Kwaku Duah disclosed that the team is working with engineering and consulting firm Zutari to complete the front-end engineering design. “We are at the tail end of that. That’s the only reason we haven’t finished our permitting,” he said, expressing hope that work would begin before the end of 2026. He committed that “by the end of next year at least we should have finished with one of the lots”.
The project began in 2023, with the team first moving to the site in 2024. Long-term plans include continuous water testing to protect the Jimi Dam, as well as ongoing tracking of soil, vegetation, biodiversity, and community health outcomes.
A Model for the Nation
The Jimi project emerged from Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s advocacy against illegal mining at the Mining in Motion forum, which led to the creation of the Ashanti Green Initiative. Operating as the initiative’s flagship pilot project, the Jimi reclamation brings together key institutional partners including the Manhyia Palace, which provides overall strategic vision and royal patronage.
Organisers intend for the Jimi pilot to serve as a national model to rehabilitate other mining-damaged land and water systems across Ghana, as the country grapples with the devastating environmental legacy of illegal mining. The Forestry Commission has reported that the Ashanti Region is the hardest hit, with 4,948.9 hectares across 13 forest reserves destroyed through galamsey, while nationally approximately 8,923.8 hectares of forest reserves have been affected as of December 31.
The launch featured an inspection of the Jimi Dam, a technical briefing on the extent of degradation, and a symbolic tree-planting exercise led by the Asantehene, the two Ministers, and the Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine.
“The Jimi remains important to Obuasi. It provides water to many people outside the mine, more than those in the mine,” said Samuel Boakye Pobee, Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti. “We are proud to be partners in the fight against land degradation and elated by the government’s support”.
Organisers say the tree planting at Jimi is more than symbolic. It marks the start of a replicable model to restore Ghana’s degraded lands, protect clean water, and restore livelihoods.
