Day: June 9, 2023

Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, Minister of State, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), has charged local assemblies to be at the forefront of the Green Ghana Day and make it a daily routine.

He said the most critical concern of the populace over the last three years of the Green Ghana Day’s existence had been how sustainable the project had fared in terms of the survival rate.

‘The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission have confirmed that over 70 percent of the trees are still thriving. The MMDAs are tasked to ensure that what we plant is sustained year after year and not only for a day,’ Mr Amoah said.

He made the call during the 2023 Green Ghana Day when he led the Local Government and National Security Ministries and the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly to plant trees at the Nationalism Park, about 200 metres away from the Accra Sports Stadium.

Speaking on the significance of the Green Ghana Project, the Minister of State said, ‘as a people we knew the importance of protecting our lands, water bodies and environment, adding that it was imperative we gave our fullest support.’

He said: ‘When we plant the trees and let them die then it means we are also dying. For us at the Local Government Ministry, Parks and Gardens, it is our everyday job.’

‘It is not just a yearly affair that we commemorate and wait for a long time before people will hear of us,’ Mr Amoah added.

He said the Assemblies had a mandate to develop all districts and they could not take development to any level if their environment was degraded, water systems were polluted and forest was dying.

Nii Adjei Tawiah, Chief Executive, Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, who also planted a tree at the Nationalism Park, said the Assembly had been collaborating with officers from Parks and Gardens to green the Municipality.

He said Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly and National Security had collaborated with a private investor to invest $500, 000 to redevelop the Nationalism Park into an iconic facility that would drive tourism traffic and generate revenue.

‘All arrangements have been done. Part of the revenue generated for the Park if completed would pay for the cost of the project whilst some percentages would go to GTA and the Korle Klottey Assembly but the investor would be taken off after recouping his capital injection,’ the Chief Executive said.

The investor company is said to have come from South Korea and is expected to raise the facility to the standards of the likes of New York Central Park or the High Park of the UK in London.

The target for this year’s Green Ghana project is to plant about 10 million trees nationwide. In 2022, about 7 million trees were said to have been planted.

Source: Ghana News Agency

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to plant more trees and nurture them to grow to enhance the country’s carbon sink and combat climate change.

‘Today, your contribution is to step out, take a seedling, plant it, and ensure it grows. I encourage each one of you my fellow Ghanaians and indeed, all persons living in Ghana, young and old, men and women, urban and rural, to join me on this historic day, in this national tree planting exercise’

He made the call at the 2023 edition of the ‘Green Ghana Day’ held at the main park of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Friday.

This year’s exercise is under the theme: ‘Our Forests, Our Health.’ The initiative launched in 2021 by President Akufo-Addo as part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation agenda of the government, is intended to restore the lost forest cover of the country devastated by the illegal small-scale mining and timber logging.

The maiden edition of the programme, initiated by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, targeted planting five million trees but ended up planting over seven million seedlings. In 2022, more than 26 million trees were planted, exceeding the 20 million targets.

The Government since 2017 has been taking several proactive measures to restore the country’s lost forest cover, hence the Green Ghana Project is a necessary intervention to create national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of the degraded landscapes.

The programme also aims at inculcating values of planting and nurturing trees in the citizens, particularly among the younger generation, to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change as well as beautify the environment.

President Akufo-Addo told the gathering at the Main Park of the University that his administration remained committed to protecting ‘our environment, our people and contributing to global efforts to halt climate change.’

The government, he said, would continue to explore all avenues to enhance Ghana’s forest cover through afforestation and reafforestation programmes and protect the country’s natural resources through community-based management and conservation initiatives.

The President indicated that it was important that the State reviewed the target for this year downwards to devote more time and resources to nurturing the over 23 million trees that had survived since the ‘Green Ghana’ initiative started in 2021.

The Ministry has reviewed the target for this year downwards to ten million trees, adopting a three-pronged strategy to now plant in degraded forest reserves across the country, within and around farms and to maintain already planted trees from 2021 to date.

‘Today, we have another opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to saving planet Earth and protecting our livelihoods. The theme for this year; ‘Our Forest, Our Health’ is a clarion call for the need to preserve our forest for our own survival’ the President said.

‘This is a duty we owe not only to the current generation but also to generations yet unborn. We must go with the spirit of nationalism, solidarity, and most importantly, love for ourselves, our country, and our planet,’ he stressed.

President Akufo-Addo commended the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry for its recent ‘One Student, One Tree’ initiative, and called on students in the country to embrace the enterprise and participate fully.

‘I commend the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for instituting the one student, one tree initiative alongside this ‘Green Ghana’ project. Through this, we can inculcate the culture of tree planting in our youth and hopefully, jettison the culture of impunity that leads to the destruction of our forest.

‘I encourage all students across the country to participate fully in this national exercise and contribute their share to the fight against climate change,’ he said.

Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources said the Green Ghana project was an important exercise that required the support of every Ghanaian, institution, and body because it bordered on the country’s existence.

He said Ghana’s quest to combat the effects of climate change would be successful only if everyone actively supported and participated in the project.

The Minister said the ministry would work to protect the country’s forest reserve and environment and called for collective action towards the restoration of degraded landscapes across Ghana.

This year’s trees available for planting include Eucalyptus, Mahogany, Ofram, Ceiba, Emire, Wawa, Teak, Cedrela, Manzonian and Rosewood.

Others are Fuelwood such as Cassia, Acacia, Milletia, and Albizia, and Shade Trees like Rain Tree, Montalis, and Flamboyant.

The rest are Ornamentals trees including Polyantha, Mimusop, Royal Palm, Weeping Willow, Ixora, Orchid Tree and the Tree of Life, as well as fruit trees like Mango, Coconut, Orange, Lemon, India Almond, Avocado and Cashew.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Scores of journalists, personnel from the Ghana Police Service, corporate institutions, and clergy have collaborated with officials of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (KKMA) to plant trees in Ashaiman to mark the 2023 tree planting day.

About 5,200 trees are expected to be planted across the Ashaiman Municipality to complement the already planted trees within the areas.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Ashaiman, Mr. Albert Boakye Okyere, Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive, stated that the tree planting policy had come to stay and that all well-meaning citizens should embrace the policy to plant more trees to deal with the climate change.

He said many of the trees that were previously planted within the municipality had survived, stressing that residents must try as much as possible to take good care of the trees.

Mr. Okyere said the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly had adopted a new strategy to plant trees within the municipality, saying that henceforth trees to be planted would focus on community bases to create a natural shield for residents in the said community.

According to the MCE, out of the 1,500 trees planted in Ashaiman Middle East last year, 1,200 survived, a situation he said was impressive, with a call on the residents to patronize the tree planting exercise.

The Ashaiman MCE said communities within Ashaiman would be earmarked as ‘mini forest zones,’ saying such a move would help beautify the natural ecology in Ashaiman.

Residents, security personnel, captains of industries, and religious organizations amongst other important personalities, thronged the premises of the Ashaiman municipal assembly for their preferred choice of the various species of trees for planting.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Maher Kheir, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, has appealed to individuals to become ambassadors of change in tree planting in their communities.

He also urged them to raise awareness about the critical role forests play in our lives.

Mr Kheir was speaking at the 2023 Green Ghana Initiative on the theme:’Our Forests, Our Health.’

Ten million seedlings are expected to be planted nationwide in the 2023 Green Ghana planting exercise as part of efforts to protect the environment.

The 2023 event is on the theme: ‘Our Forests, Our Health.’

In 2021, the Initiative exceeded the target of five million seedlings to seven million, while in 2022, they had 20million as the target but it was exceeded to 27million.

He urged policymakers to enact and enforce laws that support effective land use, encourage responsible forest management, and empower local communities to be stewards of their forests.

He said, ‘we gather as a united force, driven by our shared commitment to protect our invaluable forests which indeed are the lifeline of our planet.’

He said it was was only through the collective efforts that ‘we can ensure a healthier future for us and generations to come.’

He commended President Akufo-Addo for the priceless initiative which reflected a futuristic vision for a Green Ghana and aims at protecting Ghana’s rich landscape and vegetation.

He said the forests were not mere clusters of trees; they were vast ecosystems that nurture and sustain all life forms.

‘They are the lungs of our planet, providing us

with clean air to breathe, filtering pollutants, and reducing the impact of climate change,’ he added.

He said the continent was faced with the stark reality that the forests were under threat with deforestation, illegal logging, and bad agricultural practice destroying the forest cover at an alarming rate.

‘As forests diminish, the air we breathe becomes contaminated leading to respiratory ailments,’ he said.

The Dean said, ‘we cannot afford to ignore the link between our forests and our health.’

He said there was the need to take immediate action to reverse the tide of deforestation and protect our natural heritage.

‘We must embrace sustainable practices, promote reforestation and prioritize restoration programmes,’ he added

He said it was not a choice but an obligation the citizens owe to future generations.

Mr Kheir, who is also the Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, urged all to pledge to plant trees, protect their existing forests, and educate others about the importance of this noble cause.

‘Each one of us has a role to play in creating a greener and healthier Ghana,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency