Senior minister: bauxite mining won't affect Atiwa forest, Brim river

Senior minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, says bauxite development in Ghana can be done without compromising the nation’s forest reserves and river.

Osafo Maafo made the comments following concerns raised by the former minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini that the deal could have some far reaching implications on the environment.

Ghana last week signed a $10 billion Memorandum of Understanding with China to develop its bauxite industry.

Environmentalists have also said bauxite exploitation at Atiwa and Nyinahin, the nation’s largest bauxite deposit, could compromise the Atiwa forest and the Brim river.

But speaking on BBC’s “Focus on Africa,” the former Finance Minister allied their fears, saying: “there are two major deposits of bauxite in Ghana, the bigger one is the Nyinahin deposit, and not the Atiwa one.

“Therefore, what we are talking about can be done without touching the Atiwa [Forest].”

He continued: “You can exploit the bauxite in Atiwa from the north-eastern side without affecting the River Birim… The bauxite deposit covers a very extensive area. The river takes its sources from a particular side and you can do it without affecting the river source.”

Osafo Maafo on Wednesday told reporters in London that Ghana will need $10 billion to develop its railway and bauxite. He said the Chinese Development Bank will provide the funding for the project.

“To develop the bauxite project with its railway and converting bauxite into aluminum we will need about $10 billion,” he said.

“The money will come from the Chinese Development Bank, the implementation of the project will come from other agencies, infrastructure agencies in China, like China Railway.”