France, Oct. 11 -- Pressure is mounting on Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency as environmental degradation caused by illegal mining reaches critical levels.

Vast stretches of the country's forest reserves have been stripped bare and water bodies have been contaminated. Activists are warning that without immediate, decisive action the damage could become irreversible.

Illegal mining - locally known as galamsey -is also threatening livelihoods and fuelling political and social unrest.

Civil society groups, environmental advocates and the Catholic Bishops' Conference are among those now calling on the president to declare a state of emergency to combat the crisis.

Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, president of the ...