Nii Osa Mills (Right) supported by Nene Sordgi V, President of the Shai Traditional Council and officials of the Ghana Forestry Commission to plant a tree.
Climate change has become a global phenomenon, which is affecting people in various countries, including Ghana.
This was made known at a grand durbar organized by the Forestry Commission at Dodowa on Friday to climax activities marking the 4th Forestry Week and Greening Ghana Day Celebration themed: ‘Healthy Forests Mitigate Climate Change.’
The 4th Forestry Week celebration is marked annually to create awareness about the importance of the forest to human existence.
Three government officials- Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Environment, Science Technology and Innovation, Nii Osa Mills, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Isaac Nii Djanmah Vanderpuye- called for immediate action to save the country from the harsh effects of climate change.
They also called on all stakeholders, particularly traditional leaders, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), school authorities and students to support government to tackle climate change in the country, warning that failure to do so might affect the economic growth of the country.
Mr. Vanderpuye pointed out that Ghana and other West African countries are vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change.
The situation, he said, was likely to have severe impact on the livelihood of all Ghanaians, particularly the rural poor.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Samuel Afari Dartey stated that ‘climate change has become a global phenomenon which is affecting all forms of lives.’
He said ‘it has had effects on lives and property in some countries.’
Mr. Afari Dartey argued that ‘the extremely high temperatures and its associated heat-related diseases attest to climate change in Ghana,’ adding that ‘irregular and unpredictable rainfall patterns which have a bearing on food security are also signs of climate change in the country.’
Nii Osa Mills cited illegal mining, chainsaw operations, bushfires, among others, as the drivers of deforestation in the country, appealing to CSOs to join the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as Galamsey.
‘Our water bodies are now being heavily polluted by galamsey operators all over the country,’ the Lands Minister said.
‘I will plead with our traditional rulers and CSOs to support government in the fight against this menace.’
He pleaded with students and Ghanaians in general to support the ‘One Man One Tree’ project being spearheaded by the Forestry Commission by planting trees regularly in their communities.
Mr. Ayariga, who blamed the development on some Ghanaians who pollute the environment, gave the assurance that government was putting in place measures to address the situation, stressing that government alone cannot achieve any meaningful results in this direction without the help of the citizens.
BY Melvin Tarlue
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