AI-Powered Environmental Monitoring
Detecting Illegal Mining from Space
Satellite imagery analysis tracking the destruction of Ghana's land and water resources by illegal mining operations.
The Crisis
Ghana's Environmental Emergency
Illegal mining — known locally as galamsey — has devastated land, poisoned water sources, and endangered millions of lives.
Arable land irreversibly lost
Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (2025)
Water bodies polluted
Water Resources Commission (2024)
Groundwater contaminated with mercury
Academic study (2023)
Annual revenue lost to gold smuggling
Multiple sources (2024)
Major water bodies affected
Water Research Institute (2024)
Cocoa farms destroyed
COCOBOD (2024)
Forest reserves degraded
Minister of Lands (2025)
The Problem
A Nation's Resources Under Siege
Galamsey — derived from "gather them and sell" — refers to illegal small-scale gold mining operations that have proliferated across Ghana. These unregulated operations use mercury and other toxic chemicals, devastating ecosystems and contaminating water sources that millions depend on.
Over 60% of Ghana's water bodies are now polluted. Nearly 90,000 hectares of arable land have been irreversibly destroyed. Communities face rising rates of mercury poisoning, birth defects, and waterborne diseases.
SpotGalamsey uses AI-powered satellite imagery analysis to detect and track these operations, providing actionable intelligence to the NAIMOS Taskforce for enforcement action.
NASA Earth Observatory -- Landsat satellite imagery of mining activity in Ghana
Key Impacts
- 89,998 hectares of arable land lost
- 60% of water bodies polluted
- 44 of 288 forest reserves degraded
- 30,000 hectares of cocoa farms destroyed
- 88% of groundwater contaminated with mercury
- Ghana may need to import water by 2030
Visual Evidence
Satellite Imagery and Field Documentation
Forest cleared for illegal mining operations
Sentinel-2 / ESA
Mining impact on landscape near Obuasi, Ashanti Region
NASA Landsat
Pra River contamination downstream of active mining site
SpotGalamsey
Our Approach
How SpotGalamsey Works
We combine satellite technology with artificial intelligence to detect, track, and report illegal mining activity.
Detect
AI algorithms analyze satellite imagery from Sentinel-2 and Landsat to identify land disturbance patterns consistent with illegal mining.
Verify
Detected sites are cross-referenced with mining permits and verified through multi-temporal analysis and drone surveillance.
Report
Verified sites are reported to the NAIMOS Taskforce with detailed coordinates, severity assessments, and environmental impact data.
In Collaboration With
NAIMOS Taskforce
Government Enforcement
Amazon
Cloud Credits Sponsor
Terra Industries
Drone Surveillance
Take Action
Help Protect Ghana's Resources
Explore the Map
View detected galamsey sites across Ghana with severity indicators and before/after satellite imagery.
Open MapReport Activity
Spotted suspected illegal mining? Report it anonymously. Your information helps protect communities.
Submit Report