Case study #03: Ghana – Landscape degradation and interactions of agriculture, deforestation, illegal mining, and water pollution in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve and fringe communities

This case study analyzes landscape degradation in the Atewa Forest Reserve, Ghana, a biodiversity hotspot in the Upper Guinean Forest, where the interaction between agriculture, illegal mining (galamsey), deforestation, and water pollution has led to severe loss of ecosystems and environmental services. Atewa is a critical source of drinking water for more than 6 million people and harbors exceptional biodiversity, including endemic and critically endangered species. The study identifies structural drivers of degradation—poverty, youth unemployment, economic incentives for mining, conflicting policies, and weak governance—and proposes integrated solutions such as converting the forest into a National Park, real-time remote monitoring, sustainable livelihood alternatives, regenerative agriculture, mercury-free mining, and integrated land-use planning. The case demonstrates that agriculture can be part of the solution if it is integrated into territorial, inclusive approaches aligned with biodiversity conservation.