The Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research (CBCR) has expressed grave concern over reports that armed security personnel forcibly entered the premises of Panbros Salt Industries Limited at Gbawe in support of a Chinese investor claiming a portion of the Densu Delta Ramsar Site for industrial development.
According to media reports, the investor intends to convert the disputed wetland area into a real estate development and roofing sheet manufacturing plant. The same individual is also reported to own the Empire Cement Factory, which has previously been cited for encroaching on the protected Densu Delta Ramsar Site.
In a statement on Thursday, CBCR emphasized the ecological significance of the area, describing it as part of a fragile coastal ecosystem that sustains thousands of livelihoods. The organization highlighted the delta’s role in supporting fisheries that provide food and income for surrounding communities.
CBCR warned that industrial activities—particularly cement production—pose severe risks to the ecosystem. “Chemicals used in cement manufacturing contaminate the waters that fish inhabit, jeopardizing aquatic life and food security,” the statement said. The group added that cement dust during the dry season contributes to widespread air and soil pollution, affecting even the quality of locally harvested salt.
The organization criticized what it described as the audacity to further encroach on the wetland, saying such actions violate international conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention, both of which Ghana has ratified.
CBCR further raised concerns about the increasing frequency of flooding in the Gbawe area and other low-lying coastal communities, linking it to ongoing disturbances and unregulated development within the wetland. The group said the degradation of natural flood buffers exposes communities to rising waters and heightens the impacts of climate change.
“Unless immediate measures are taken, the situation could worsen, placing human lives, livelihoods, and biodiversity at greater risk,” the statement warned.
CBCR pledged its support to the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission and called on national security agencies, land administration bodies, environmental regulators, and the judiciary to halt all earth-moving and water-altering activities at the site. It urged authorities to suspend operations until a full environmental assessment is carried out.
The organization stressed that sustainable development and environmental protection must go hand in hand, noting that the Panbros incident is “not simply a land dispute,” but one with far-reaching consequences for biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, flood resilience, and community livelihoods.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
