The 5th Colloquium of International Geoscience Programme (IGCP638), 2022 jointly organized by the local organizing committee and members of the West African Exploration Initiative (WAXI) has kicked start in Accra, Ghana.
Part one two days mainly for conferencing of the five day symposium is being held under the theme: Geodynamics and Mineralization of Paleoproterozoic Formations for Sustainable Development is taking place at the University of Ghana Campus from December 4th to 9th, 2022).
Part two, which is the rest of the three days is dedicated for field trips for the participants who are drawn from all 16 West African countries as well as France, England, Algeria, Morocco among others
The symposium has brought together the international scientific community including academia and industry players to present research findings and engage in discussions centered on the theme.
The set of themes for the symposium cover geodynamics, mineralization, geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics, mapping, sedimentology, imagery, environment (pollution and deforestation related to mines), climate change and other related subjects.
Head of Earth Science Department of the University of Ghana and Chairman of the conference, Professor Larry Pax Chegbeleh in a welcome address said the meeting was designed to generate active exchanges between the actors of the various fields enquiring, expert mining in order to produce scientific knowledge on the geology of the WAC for the benefit of academia and teaching programmes.
The forum will also facilitate mining exploration, and reinforce the capacity of the participants on the field methods of the Paleoproterozoic (Birimian) basement geology through the field trips (and possible sampling of specimens).
Prof Chegbeleh encouraged the participants to to take active part and share their ideas.
“If you were in the session, you notice that everybody was speaking the language of sustainable development, sustainable development in the sense that, it looks like this generation we are actually about particular sustainable development-the handle the resources in the sense that future generations will come over and have it.
But we have found ourselves in this era especially in Ghana where our environment is being degraded for galamsy, if our great grandfathers had started doing the environment like this would you have come to meet the environment like this’’ he stated.
He bemoaned the fact that “we now have coloured water in some parts of the country due to illegal mining’’.
A Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Earth Science Department, Dr. Yvvone Loh, said it is significant for Ghana to be hosting the conference since it has numerous resources.
The colloquium she said provides an opportunity for all to understand these diverse resources from the ideas of the diverse professionals and to share ideas and communicate their needs as a professional bodies.
She urged the need for professionals to be engaged in fighting the issue of galamsy in the country hence the proposal of the Ghana Institute of Geoscientists Bill.
“You know what galamsy is doing to us, professional must take charge to regulate it, and make sure that those professional are themselves regulated” hence the proposal and drafting of first of its kind “Ghana Institute of Geoscientists Bill” currently before, Attorney General Department, he said.
The President of the Local Organizing Committee and also a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Ghana, Dr. Prince Ofori Amponsah said the conference is ‘’to produce scientific knowledge in geology as well as understanding the West African people-mining in sustainable way, ensuring that there no pollution is mining areas, adhere to zero carbon emission “as we take the industry players through thematic area including how to update our minds when it comes to new knowledge in geology, mineral commodities and how to exploit them in a sustainable way” he stated.
