Gov’t Must Commit To Reforestation Strategies To Combat Environmental Degradation – Tropenbos Ghana
Tropenbos Ghana, a leading environmental organization, has urged the government to prioritize and support various national strategies aimed at reforestation and afforestation.
This call comes as the country continues to grapple with a significant decline in forest and tree cover, posing severe environmental challenges.
A statement signed by Boakye Twumasi-Ankra, Project Manager, Tropenbos Ghana, noted that “Particularly within the last two decades, the country has experienced a net change of -573kha (-5.1%) in forest cover; twice higher than the global average of -2.4 % within the same period”.
According to the environmental organization, the accelerated deforestation rates have resulted in habitat loss, species extinction, soil degradation, and diminished crop yields.
Furthermore, deforestation and forest degradation have contributed to the adverse impacts of climate change, including disrupted water cycles, the disappearance of local streams, and erratic weather patterns such as droughts and floods.
Illegal logging, unsustainable farming practices, unauthorized mining activities, and wildfires are identified as the primary drivers of forest loss in Ghana.
In response to this alarming situation, the government launched the ambitious Green Ghana initiative to restore the country’s lost forest cover and mitigate climate change.
While Tropenbos Ghana acknowledges the importance of the Green Ghana Project, the organization emphasizes the need to address key issues that can impact the success of the initiative in improving forest and tree cover across the nation.
In light of this, Tropenbos Ghana urges the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, through the Forestry Commission, to undertake the following urgent measures:
- Improve technical assistance in tree planting and management, especially for people who plant on Green Ghana Day. This will minimize the destruction of trees planted in the wrong places or areas.
- Develop a robust and readily accessible system for the registration of trees in order to enhance, and sustain farmers’ interest in tree planting and management with guaranteed ownership.
- Enhance measures aimed at minimizing threats to forests and trees including illegal farming, illegal/unsustainable mining, wildfires, etc.
- Equally, commit to, and support other national strategic options aimed at reforestation/ afforestation.
Tropenbos Ghana firmly believes that by implementing these measures, Ghana can effectively address the pressing challenges of deforestation and forest degradation.
The organization emphasizes the need for a collaborative effort among government agencies, civil society organizations, and local communities to restore and protect the country’s invaluable forest resources for the well-being of current and future generations.
Below is a statement to that effect.