GIADEC should stop misinforming the media and the public - CONAMA

The Coalition of NGOs Against Mining Atewa (CONAMA) says the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation has been misinforming the media and the public on the reality of bauxite in the Atewa Forest.

In a press statement published in the Monday, December 9, 2019 edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper, CONAMA said GIADEC gave long known figures for Ghana's bauxite reserves estimated at 920 million tonnes but "what these figures do not make clear is the quantity of bauxite that is available for mining."

"Some of the bauxite is in forest reserves, therefore legally protected from mining. Even if the law permits it, we must question whether it is wise to mine the forests due to the extensive damage that will be caused to watersheds, the ecosystem services, wildlife and natural resources exceeding any benefit gained for Ghana's development," the statement said.

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The CONAMA statement signed by Daryl Bosu and Seth Appiah-Kubi said: "For the umpteenth time, government needs to know that there is no contention with the fact that the Sinohydro deal will present positive economic prospects for Ghana.

It said, "What is clear so far, is that the associated social and environmental trade-off analysis with respect to the targeted locations for this deal is poor and not green, and threatens Ghana’s watersheds, impact negatively on the integrity of a globally significant biodiversity areas, as well as contribute to emissions and destroy an important natural climate solution for Ghana.

"We reiterate our demand that Atewa Forest – a site of high biodiversity value and protector of the watersheds for three rivers serving clean water to 5 million Ghanaians – must as a matter of urgency be removed from the planned bauxite development," the statement added.

"GIADEC’s promises are empty. Atewa cannot be mined for bauxite in a way that will not destroy the forest and its services provision as we know them today. Government must rescind this decision and remove Atewa Forest from the bauxite deal immediately," it said.

Below is a full copy of CONAMA's press statement

On 4th December. 2019, The Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) held a media engagement to brief them on the latest developments on the sector. The Coalition of NGOs Against MINING ATEWA (CONAMA) has obtained a copy of the statement and we wish to address certain key points made that do not reflect reality.

The statement gave long known figures for Ghana's bauxite reserves estimated at 920 million tonnes but what these figures do not make clear is the quantity of bauxite that is available for mining. Some of the bauxite is in forest reserves, therefore legally protected from mining. Even if the law permits it, we must question whether it is wise to mine the forests due to the extensive damage that will be caused to watersheds, the ecosystem services, wildlife and natural resources exceeding any benefit gained for Ghana's development.

GlADEC also boasted of its stakeholder engagements, saying it understood the important role of Traditional Authorities, local communities and other stakeholders in the process. The statement said GIADEC was now developing a robust stakeholder engagement strategy', but this strategy should have been drawn up and shared long ago. and based on the 'Free, Prior and informed Consent (FPIC) principles that are already available for GlADEC to draw on.

The fact that this stakeholder strategy does not yet exist is undermining the rights of local communities to FPIC. This strategy must be shared with all affected communities, civil society groups and other stakeholders for evaluation and to ensure these key stakeholders are included in this process.

Transparency so far over the bauxite deal has been woefully inadequate, as identified by the risk consultancy EXX Africa in their 2019 report, meanly stakeholders have been unable to assess the deal or the benefits that government keeps promising.

Attached below is the full statement in PDF.