Dr Chrys Anab, Executive Director, TAMA Foundation Universal, said the country was blessed with natural resources such as gold, timber, water among others, however, their management and exploration had been a major challenge.

He said the issue was particularly challenging among the five regions of Northern Ghana which was becoming the hub of mining activities, posing serious threats to livelihoods and underscored the urgent need for the media and CSOs to play critical roles collectively to address the challenges.

"Environmental Degradation, climate change, and illegal mining remain some of the most pressing challenges in Northern Ghana," Dr Anab, speaking during a capacity building workshop, organised in Tamale.

"While these issues pose significant threat to livelihoods, food security, and social equality, limited media expertise and public engagement hinder collective action to address these challenges effectively".

Dubbed "building media and CSOs capacity for enhanced environmental and extractive justice in Northern Ghana", the workshop was organised by TAMA Foundation Universal with funding support from the Ford Foundation for CSOs and selected journalists in Northern Ghana.

It was also part of processes towards formalising the Northern Ghana Environment and Extractive Journalists Network (EEJNet), a platform that seeks to empower journalists with skills and resources to deliver impactful stories that highlighted environmental challenges and advocate for ethical and sustainable development.

Presenting high level researches on natural resources particularly in Northern Ghana conducted by TAMA Foundation Universal, Dr Anab expressed concern about the high level of destruction, irresponsible and poor regulations particularly in the extractive sector and impact on the environment and livelihoods.

He said research had shown that in 2024 alone the government issued 128 mining licenses to mining companies spreading across the five regions of Northern Ghana including Upper East, Upper West, North East, Savannah and Northern Regions.

He pointed that out some of the activities of these mining companies were not properly regulated and the host communities and the country were not benefiting fully from the natural resources, leading to environmental destruction and conflict over natural resources.

The Executive Director called on the media and the CSOS to use their platforms to advocate for reforms, especially in the mining sector to ensure good environmental governance and accountability, and added that "the top down approach of awarding licenses has always been the challenge".

Mr Mohammed Fugu, Convenor, EEJNet, said the network was dedicated to building a vibrant community of journalists committed to promoting responsible, ethical, and impactful reporting on the environment and extractive sector in Northern Ghana.

Through continuous capacity-building initiatives and ongoing support, he said the network would empower members to tackle issues of environmental degradation, indiscriminate tree felling, illegal mining, and the far-reaching impacts of climate change

"Through in-depth, evidence-based reporting, we aim to expose the severity of these issues and advocate for sustainable environmental practices.

Additionally, we will leverage the international Days on environment to produce compelling, well-researched stories to raise awareness and inspire communities to take action", he added.

Mr Abdul Hayi Moomen, Senior Journalist and Head of Public Affairs at the University for Development Studies, noted that the media and CSOs had the power to influence the thoughts of people and policies and urged them to leverage on their influence to ensure collective action against environmental destruction.