Blue Water Guards — government initiative training young people to monitor rivers and combat illegal mining, deployed across Ghana's regions since 2025.
… These measures include intensified stakeholder engagement and public education, the operationalisation of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the deployment of the Blue Water Guards, and the introduction of a new medium-scale mining framework designe …
… He pointed out that although initiatives such as the Blue Water Guards programme have been introduced to protect water bodies, the impact on the ground remains limited. …
… The joint operation, conducted in tandem with the Blue Water Guards on Sunday, 24 May 2026, exposed a deliberate and destructive engineering scheme. …
… He pointed out that although initiatives such as the Blue Water Guards programme have been introduced to protect water bodies, the impact on the ground remains limited. …
Government expands Blue Water Guards to combat illegal mining nationwide
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·Joy Online
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed that the government’s Blue Water Guards initiative is producing positive results in the fight against illegal mining along the country’s rivers and streams. …
Government has graduated another batch of Blue Water Guards at the Western Naval Command in Ezinlibo as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against illegal mining and protect the country’s water bodies. …
… The operation, conducted on Thursday, 14 May 2026, between 0300hrs and 1530hrs, involved collaboration between the NAIMOS task force and the Blue Water Guards. …
Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in collaboration with the Blue Water Guards, have intensified their riverine patrols along the Ankobra River, recording a significant disruption of illegal mining activities at Dominase in the Western …
B&FT’s Western Regional correspondent reports that personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Blue Water Guards, have intensified operations against illegal mining along the Ankobra River, destroying several machines and disrup …
Personnel from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in collaboration with the Blue Water Guards, have conducted sustained offensive patrols within the Nzema East District of the Western Region. …
Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has submitted a new mining bill to Cabinet that would transfer licensing approval powers from central agencies like the EPA and Minerals Commission to newly established District Mining Committees, giving local communities greater involvement in mining governance and licensing decisions.
Why it matters
New mining bill proposing decentralised licensing to district committees represents significant policy shift in Ghana's mining governance and local community involvement.
Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has submitted a new mining bill to Cabinet that would transfer licensing approval powers from central agencies like the EPA and Minerals Commission to newly established District Mining Committees, giving local communities greater involvement in mining governance and licensing decisions.
The Board Chairman of Ahantaman Community Bank has called on government to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining, warning that continued destruction of water bodies threatens national development and public health. He cited the ineffectiveness of existing interventions and alleged that some chiefs and politicians are complicit in galamsey activities.
Ghana's National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) conducted a pre-dawn raid at Sanfo Adiam in Amansie East District, Ashanti Region, on 24 May 2026, arresting two Chinese nationals operating an illegal gold mining enclave. The operators had diverted sections of the Dankai River into an artificial dam for unlawful extraction; several Ghanaian workers fled during the operation, with one spotted carrying a pump-action firearm.
The Board Chairman of Ahantaman Community Bank has called on government to declare a state of emergency on galamsey, warning that continued destruction of water bodies threatens national development and public health. He cited water pollution as widespread across the country and alleged that some traditional leaders and influential persons are complicit in illegal mining, hampering enforcement efforts.
The government's Blue Water Guards initiative is producing positive results in fighting illegal mining along Ghana's rivers and streams, with the Lands and Natural Resources Minister stating that almost every district where guards have been deployed has witnessed improvement in water systems. A total of 452 newly trained guards graduated at the Naval Base at Ezinlibo in the Western Region.
The government has graduated another batch of Blue Water Guards at the Western Naval Command as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against illegal mining and protect water bodies. The initiative, launched in 2025, aims to train about 2,000 young people nationwide to monitor rivers, report illegal mining activities, and educate communities on environmental protection; 1,617 trained guards have already been deployed across eight regions.
Operatives of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat arrested three Chinese nationals during a riverine operation targeting illegal mining along the Tano River in Amenfi West District on 14 May 2026. The suspects were found overseeing miners operating Changfan machines on floating platforms and were handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service.
Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat and Blue Water Guards carried out riverine patrols along the Ankobra River on May 11, 2026, disrupting illegal mining at Dominase in the Western Region. The team destroyed six changfan machines that suspects were reinstalling on an abandoned floating platform.
Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Blue Water Guards, destroyed machines and disrupted illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River in the Western Region's Nzema East district. The operation targeted galamsey hotspots from Gwira Banso to Tumentu, dismantling approximately 20 changfan machines at one site and five modified boats fitted with an estimated 10 changfan machines at another.
Personnel from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat and Blue Water Guards conducted sustained patrols in Nzema East District, Western Region, to combat illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River. During operations from Gwira Banso to Tumentu, the team intercepted about 20 individuals engaged in illegal mining, destroyed 20 Changfan machines and water hoses in use.
Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Blue Water Guards, have destroyed several machines and disrupted illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River in the Nzema East District of the Western Region. The operation targeted galamsey sites at Gwira Banso and Eshiem, dismantling approximately 20 changfan machines and other equipment used to draw water directly into the river.
The Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana says the government's Blue Water Guards initiative, launched to protect water bodies from illegal mining pollution, is not delivering expected results and has limited visible impact. He urged a reassessment of the programme, arguing resources could be better deployed to established institutions like the Police and Minerals Commission.
A Rocha Ghana's deputy director says the country's efforts against illegal mining are failing due to poor coordination among state agencies, despite appearing organized on paper. Fieldwork in affected regions shows worsening conditions, forest destruction, and water quality degradation continue despite government interventions.