Biochar for Mine Reclamation in Ghana: A Soil Remediation Perspective
Joseph Tabi, MLWS 2025
Ghana’s mining sector, dominated by gold extraction, contributes significantly to economic growth but has left extensive environmental damage. Mining has degraded soils, stripped vegetation, reduced fertility, and introduced contaminants such as arsenic and mercury. Current reclamation practices—primarily revegetation supported by compost and manure—offer only partial solutions. While they stabilize landscapes and control erosion, they often fail to restore long-term fertility, microbial activity, or address heavy metal contamination. This project critically evaluates the potential of biochar, a carbon-rich material produced through biomass pyrolysis, as a soil amendment for mine reclamation in Ghana. Drawing on a narrative literature review of global and Ghana-specific studies, the research examines biochar’s ability to buffer soil pH, improve nutrient retention, immobilize toxic metals, enhance microbial recovery, and strengthen soil structure. Compared to conventional amendments, biochar provides greater persistence and multifunctional benefits, making it especially relevant in Ghana’s highly leached, nutrient-poor post-mining soils.
