Government has officially launched a 30 million trees project at Kasuliyili in the Tolon District of the Northern Region.
The nationwide project is intended to reverse the continuous land degradation in the country.
The Minister for Science, Environment, Technology and Innovation, Mahama Ayariga launched the project on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCDD).
It was celebrated on the theme, “Protect our farmlands for sustainable food production.”
Mahama Ayariga reiterated calls for attitudinal change to safeguard the environment.
“It is our behavior and our culture that informs desertification.”
He implored traditional leaders to lead the tree planting exercise in their localities.
“There must be a communal effort to address this problem: let’s work together and plant trees: let’s establish nurseries, let’s distribute tree seedlings and our chiefs I believe are ready to help us in this regard to ensure that our people plant trees.”
He condemned the alarming rate at which trees are cut for charcoal burning without replacement.
“Let us use this day to re-examine our conduct and agree on what is the appropriate thing to do to reverse the trend of desertification and to combat drought.”
Mahama Ayariga also tasked the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to allocate funds for the tree planting exercise.
“Let’s not leave the work to only the EPA: let the assemblies set aside a reasonable amount of their budgets to support the nursing of tree seedlings and the distribution of these seedlings to farmers, school children, chiefs and women so that at the beginning of every season we plant more trees.”
He maintained that the use of biogas technology for domestic activities to avoid cutting trees for charcoal burning was appropriate.
Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna noted with deep regret that land degradation and water resources depletion had negatively affected most communities in Northern Ghana.
This, according to him contributed to poverty, suffering and deprivation of majority of rural dwellers in Northern Ghana.
“Due to the extreme depletion of our soils and savannah resources coupled with the fragility of the physical environment and the lack of dry season income generation activities, rural communities in many parts of the three regions of the north are the major victims of poverty and food insecurity: the situation calls for immediate, sustainable and urgent interventions in order to secure livelihoods and protect our valuable soils and natural resources.”
Alhaji Limuna lamented, “The sustained exploitation of savannah resources to satisfy socio-economic needs have led to deforestation, destruction of water wildlife habitats and resources depletion.”
He called for closer and collective efforts between traditional rulers and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in developing medium term and annual action plans to address the specific issues of environmental degradation.
Executive Director of the EPA, Daniel Amlalo commended the chiefs and people of Kasuliyili traditional area for complementing the efforts of the EPA towards combating desertification.
He encouraged farmers in the area to adopt best farming practices to enrich soil fertility.
Daniel Amlalo reaffirmed the EPA’s determination to reverse land degradation in the country.
The EPA Executive Director and his Deputy were enskinned by the chief of Kasuliyili for their tremendous contribution towards the community’s upkeep.
Deserving awardees including Kings Village private clinic in Kumbungu, farmers, Tamale Metro NADMO and Damongo Senior High School received awards.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana