The Rights
of Nature Ghana Movement (RoNAG) has concluded its 2-year socio-legal study
that explored how Ghana can recognize
and protect the Rights of Nature (RoN) within its legal and governance systems. The study
was titled ‘Assessing
Legal Frameworks and Stakeholder Perspectives on Integrating the Rights of
Nature into Ghana’s Environmental Governance’ funded by the Gower Street
Trust, U.K. The
concept of the Rights of Nature acknowledges that ecosystems, such as rivers, forests,
and wildlife, are not mere resources or objects to be exploited, but living entities
with
inherent rights to exist, thrive, and regenerate. The study was conducted to support the
Rights of Nature Ghana Movement’s (RoNAG) reform campaign. The research evaluates
Ghana's environmental laws, examines international best practices, and gathers
perspectives from key stakeholders across five regions. The findings indicate
overwhelming public support, approximately
90.5% for granting legal
recognition to nature. The study concludes that adopting a Rights of Nature
framework could strengthen environmental protection, promote sustainable development,
and help Ghana meet its national and international climate and biodiversity
commitments.
The
study in Brief
Ghana's
existing environmental laws are analysed. The study also surveyed the
acceptance rate of the international Rights of Nature (RoN) initiatives by
gathering views from many stakeholders. It found overwhelming support of about
90.5% in favour of giving nature legal recognition. It revealed that RoN
principles, such as fishing taboos and prohibitions on cutting in sacred
groves, are already embedded in customary laws and practices. Illegal
small-scale gold mining ("galamsey") is among the greatest environmental
threats, and the problem persists due to weak enforcement of domestic
environmental laws. To eliminate environmental degradation, current
environmental laws should be updated to recognize nature's rights, and
enforcement strengthened. The study recommends enshrining nature's rights in
the laws of Ghana, reversing forest-mining permissions (e.g., canceling L.I.
246), and working with government agencies (MESTI, EPA, Forestry Commission,
Parliament, District Assemblies), NGOs (RoNAG, A Rocha Ghana), the education
system (Ministry of Education, GES, universities), and traditional/local
leaders to protect rivers and forests.
Purpose and Significance
The
Earth and its ecosystems have fundamental rights to exist, live, and thrive,
and this study was conducted to promote their legal recognition. In practice,
this means helping Ghana's government consider passing a RoN Act and amending
some of its existing environmental laws so that rivers, forests, and other
ecosystems can have legal standing. This change is needed urgently because
Ghana is facing serious environmental decline, and its environmental laws today
treat nature mainly as a resource for people rather than as a rights-bearing
entity. The study highlights the adoption of new legal approaches (often called
ecocentric or Earth-centered) worldwide. Ghana needs to catch up if it is to
meet biodiversity and climate targets. The study specifically supports the
Goals of the RoNAG campaign, which seeks to integrate nature's rights into
Ghana's law.
Study’s Objectives
1. To
analyse Ghana’s existing environmental laws and regulations in the context of
RoN.
2.
To review global RoN
initiatives and draw lessons for Ghana.
3.
To assess stakeholder
awareness and understanding of the RoN.
4.
To identify opportunities
and challenges for integrating RoN into Ghana’s governance.
5.
To propose legal and
policy measures for effectively including RoN in Ghana's environmental laws.
Key Findings
Finding for Objective 1
Ghana's
current laws are largely "anthropocentric," in that they focus on how
people use resources rather than granting rights to nature itself. For
instance, government officials understand and explain that the Constitution and
other environmental laws primarily aim to regulate resources for
sustainability. They do not recognize nature as an entity with inherent rights.
Further, no existing law explicitly grants rivers, forests, or other natural
entities legal standing. The study shows that Ghana's main environmental laws
(like the EPA Act) treat nature as a resource to be managed for human benefit.
This
shows that Ghana's legal system currently does not recognize nature's inherent
rights and will require new or amended laws to grant nature legal standing. The
study concludes that to integrate a RoN concept into Ghana's laws, its
Constitution, the Environmental Protection Act, and mining laws must factor in
the protection of ecosystems, not just human land use.
Finding for Objective 2
International
examples show that declaring nature’s rights can strengthen conservation. A
critical milestone was Ecuador’s 2008 Constitution, the first national
constitution that identifies nature as a rights holder. Court rulings on rivers
in India and New Zealand, and other legal advances elsewhere, set the precedent
for Ghana. Emphasis is placed on learning from these experiences. However, to
make these reforms possible, political backing and funding are strongly needed.
The
study concludes that Ghana can learn from global experiences. The RoN reforms
often work when the public and courts understand them. In addition, they should
incorporate the RoN principles into the constitution and other environmental
laws, using unambiguous language that clearly recognizes nature's rights.
Finding for Objective 3
Although
many are not familiar with the global RoN concept, support for instituting RoN
among Ghanaian stakeholders is broad. The survey results showed 90.5%
endorsement of the idea of nature having rights. In interviews, people from
different backgrounds (EPA officers, farmers, students, and traditional
leaders) across all five regions reacted positively. They often echoed viewing
nature's rights in terms of "intergenerational justice" (fairness to
future generations). No group opposed it; concerns focused mainly on how to
enforce the new rights.
With
nearly universal stakeholder support, Ghana already has a constituency for RoN
reforms. This broad acceptance is encouraging. However, that enthusiasm must be
matched by public education and involvement so that they can concurrently
support and enforce nature's rights anywhere.
Finding for Objective 4
Many
traditional beliefs already respect nature and make sure it's properly
protected. The study noted customary rules, such as fishing taboos on certain
days and the designation of "sacred groves" as areas where cutting is
forbidden, as being in alignment with the RoN principles. These cultural
practices treat water bodies or forests as worthy of special protection. This
already existing local alignment with RoN ideas signifies a strong opportunity
for reform.
Customary
practices show that protecting nature for its own sake is not new to Ghanaian
society. Since traditional values already align with RoN ideals, reforms to
domestic environmental laws can build on what communities already practice. The
study suggests the need to formally recognise and work with traditional
authorities, because they already enforce sacred sites and taboos.
Finding for Objective 5
Illegal
small-scale mining (galamsey) emerged as the biggest environmental threat,
recurring across all regions visited. Small-scale illegal mining has moved from
a traditional, low-impact activity into a mechanised industry where bulldozers,
excavators, and toxic chemicals are used. This has necessitated the adoption of
the Rights of Nature framework in Ghana to curb the catastrophic, illegal
activity. Statistically, the exceedingly high turbidity in many major rivers
makes water treatment by the Ghana Water Company Limited difficult. For
instance, turbidity levels as high as 11,000 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity
Units) lead to pump failures and exorbitant water treatment costs (Adom, 2025).
Apart from contaminating water bodies, artisanal and industrial mining waste
causes respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and silicosis, with a direct
impact on human health (Ofori, 2022). In addition, the findings revealed that
enforcement failure is the dominant reason environmental degradation is
advancing with impunity. The study found that enforcement failures result from
a lack of resources and political will.
It
was proposed that quantifying ecosystem services and linking them to
international finance mechanisms such as REDD+ will provide the necessary
financial resources and make RoN policy implementation more attractive to
politicians. This will implement the proposed three-tier reform framework
plausibly:
Tier 1: Immediate Statutory Targets (0–2
years)
•
Initiate legislative
review and repeal of LI 246 (permits mining in forest reserves).
•
Repeal Section 18 of the
Minerals and Mining Act (allows mining entry into forest reserves).
•
Expand Act 29, Section
303 to cover fish, aquatic life, and plants — the most tractable immediate
rights of nature reform with minimal political resistance.
•
Operationalise the
Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124) and its implementing regulations
with full enforcement capacity.
•
Commission alternative
livelihood programs in galamsey-affected communities as a prerequisite for
escalating enforcement.
Tier
2: Institutional and Structural Reform (1–3 years)
•
Separate conservation and
extraction mandates at the ministerial level (addressing the conflict of
interest architecture identified by the Ashanti Region Wildlife Division
officer).
•
Establish hybrid guardian
institutions that formally integrate traditional authority, EPA, and civil
society organisations into an ecosystem governance framework.
•
Create specialised
environmental courts or chambers with trained judges and expedited procedures.
•
Establish inter-agency
coordination mechanisms (EPA, Minerals Commission, Water Resources Commission,
Fisheries Commission, Forestry Commission) with a unified ecosystem protection
mandate.
•
Launch a Payment for
Ecosystem Services framework linking carbon credit revenues to community
conservation incentives.
Tier
3: Constitutional and Long-term Systemic Reform (3+ years)
•
Pursue a constitutional
amendment recognizing natural entities as rights-bearing.
•
Enact a standalone Rights
of Nature Act incorporating legal personhood, guardian institutions, and
accountable traditional authority provisions.
•
Integrate rights of
nature principles into national school curricula.
•
Establish a National
Environmental Ombudsman with standing to initiate environmental litigation on
behalf of natural entities.
•
Develop a community
benefit-sharing framework that distributes carbon credit and conservation
revenues to communities adjacent to protected areas.
Recommendations
Government and Regulatory Agencies.
We recommend that the Ministry of
Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, in consultation with
Parliament, draft a RoN Act or undertake steps to amend the Constitution to
give legal personhood to natural entities. This will build on Act 1124, which
underscores the Precautionary Principle in environmental undertakings. In
addition, such Acts as the Environmental Protection Act (EPA Act), Forestry
Commission Act, and others should be amended to uphold nature's right to exist,
live, and thrive. For instance, Act 2022 L.I. 2462, which allows mining in
forest reserves, should be amended to recognise nature's existential rights.
Furthermore, enforcement institutions should be elevated in status to enable
them to handle flagrant violators with the most severe punishment. Some study
participants suggested that EPA should be given greater authority. We also
recommend granting it greater autonomy and resources to ensure that
environmental laws are properly adhered to. In the same vein, the Forestry
Commission and Water Resources Commission should be given the same mandate.
Moreover, the Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and District Chief
Executives (DCEs) should be drawn into the implementation processes. For
instance, the District Environmental Committees should be made to consider
ecosystem rights when doing land-use planning.
Education and Academia
The Ministry of Education and the Ghana
Education Service should add RoN and environmental ethics curricula into
Ghanaian schools at all levels. The curricula should emphasise traditional
environmental laws, climate change, and local conservation practices at an
early age. Universities and research institutes should develop courses and
degree programs in environmental law that include the Rights of Nature.
Additionally, research institutes and funding agencies should fund graduate
studies and research projects that assess RoN implementation.
Civil Society Organisations
CSOs should create public awareness through
community training and public education on nature's rights. They should run
many sensitization campaigns that highlight protecting nature as an act of
intergenerational justice. Further, they should use the law courts to promote
the RoN principle in Ghana’s environmental legal frameworks. Moreover, CSOs
should train EPA staff, judges, and local officials on Rights-of-Nature
concepts in partnership with the government and international donors.
Traditional Authorities and Local Communities
Indigenous knowledge researchers must partner
with local communities to document the traditional taboos, sacred groves, and
other local practices that align with RoN. District Assemblies should draft
bylaws to legally protect natural entities. Highly respected local authorities,
such as chiefs, queen mothers, and assembly members, should be appointed and
monitored as Guardians of Nature for specific entities, such as trees or
rivers. These local guardians should work with the police to protect nature's
interests.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates
that integrating the Rights of Nature into Ghana’s environmental governance is
both feasible and widely supported. By aligning legal reforms with cultural
traditions, stakeholder expectations, and global best practices, Ghana can establish
a transformative framework for ecological protection and sustainable
development.
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