Although desertification and climate change in recent times, have assumed serious global concern and triggered debates among world leaders and environmental experts on their alarming effects, many people in Ghana probably due to ignorance have still not realised the importance of afforestation or tree planting to counteract the problems.
Lack of knowledge on many relevant issues is indeed a cancerous disease that has infected the larger Ghanaian society, not only the illiterate but also the literate or elite group.
As a result of the ignorance, most of the developmental challenges confronting the nation cannot just be overcome within the shortest possible time; not even issues like desertification and climate change that now determines how long man can exist on planet earth. This is so because, many people have failed to understand that cutting down trees, engaging in bad farming practices, bush burning, negative mining practices, and among others are the reasons why crop yields have reduced over the years and still continue to decline, water bodies (rivers, streams, lagoons, etc drying up) long drought periods, perennial flooding, and among others. These are just some of the effects of climate change emanating from bad environmental practices.
But as the world marks this year’s Environmental Day on the theme: “Many species, One Planet, One Future”, environmental scientists are trying to conscientize society to change from the primitive way of living and adapt to the use of environmental friendly methods like the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas that do not impact negatively on the natural habitat.
At a brief ceremony in Duuyin in the Tamale Metropolis to observe the World Environment Day which was organized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, residents of the Northern Region who faced most of the serious problems of desertification and climate change effects, were urged to stop persistent felling of trees, bush burning, group hunting, bad farming practices, overgrazing, among others.
In fact, there is no gain saying that the over exploitation of Ghana’s natural resources (plants and animals) leaves much to be desired.
In recent times, the Northern Region is experiencing plant and animal loss at alarming rates. This phenomenon is leading to gradual deterioration of environmental quality, thereby affecting environmental sustainability and species diversity. Continuous loss in plant and animal species is leading to the loss of reduction in vegetation cover, loss of medicinal plants, loss of biodiversity, decrease in soil fertility, reduction in the quantities and quality of available water used for various purposes, low agricultural productivity, among others.
Other problems that manifest as a result of species diversity loss include increasing and fluctuating ambient temperatures, loss of fodder or pasture, increase in heat and other related diseases (Cerebro Spinal Meningitis) and loss of agricultural lands.
According to the Northern Regional Director of the EPA, Abu Iddrisu, 16 million hectares of forest are depleted each year in Africa. Adding that, in Ghana and particularly the three Northern Regions, 22,000 hectares of tree species are lost annually.
He further indicated that, between 1938 and 1981, it is estimated that the area of closed forest in Ghana had reduced by 64% that is from 472,000km2 to 17,200km2 and open woodland declined by 37% from 111,800km2 respectively.
In pursuance of the mandate and responsibilities of the EPA, Mr. Abu said the agency was collaborating with the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly to supply 5,000 seedlings of cassia, neem and albizia to be planted and nurtured at various communities within the Metropolitan area.
The EPA was also collaborating with District Assemblies in the region to implement a five (5) year Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP) in the Northern Region, he added.
For his part, San Nasamu Asabigi, Deputy Northern Regional Minster urged residents of the Northern Region to serve as ambassadors of good environmental practices so as to help revert desertification.
He lamented that generations yet unborn will need to see some of the forest reserves and animals hence the need to consider environmental management as a collective responsibility.
By Joseph Ziem
Environmental Journalist
Ziemjoseph@yahoo.com
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