Climate Change and a thirsty world

Floods came in abandon three months ago and destroyed properties including lives in parts of northern Ghana. Now flooded areas are dry up leaving the people on the breadline for clean drinking water as the flood waters dripped underground and percentage ran into polluted lakes, rivers and salted sea.

Studies on water situation in northern Ghana indicated the region is endowed with surface water and much less of groundwater resources. The area is relatively dry, with a single rainy season that begins June or July and ends October. Available surface water is about 1, 737 billion gallons per annum which is about 19% of the total annual national figure of 40 billion m3.

However, this amount is not available all year round as most of the rivers draining the region dwindle to hardly any or no flow in the dry season with only pockets of stagnant water remaining because of the high seasonal rainfall variation.

The region underlain by mainly the voltaian sedimentary geological formation which is generally perceived as not a good source of groundwater with low borehole success rate of about 53% according to the Ghana Hydrological Service Department.

Northern region has an estimated population rate of 2.8% according to the 2000 population and housing census. The implication is that population is steadily increasing but the water resources are not available throughout the year. This resulted in water rationing, created conflict for water among residents.

This also implies that there is growing demand for clean drinking water which is exacerbating the degradation of land and water resources as well as increasing conflict in water use.

Now with the advent of climate change the area is faced with severe water crisis. The rainfall patterns had changed and the people would not have privilege to meet their Millennium Development Goals (MDG) on water. Here comes a new way of conserving water-rainwater harvesting tank technology. The technology which is said to be unaffordable considering per capita income of the people is just one way of climate change mitigation or adaptation on water.

According to the 2000 population census, northern region had 1,820,806 people and the daily water available at the time was 2083 gallons per person.

The estimated 2010 census is 2,259800 and the daily water available is now reduced to 1,659 gallons per person, a reduction of 20% within ten years according to the authorities of Ghana Water Company.

The seriousness of this is that Ghana Water Company could not expand to cover almost every rural community. The bulk of the water managed is concentrated within urban cities leaving our rural folk grappling for clean drinking water.

 As result the region is grappling with guinea worm disease, a debilitating diseases that though could be eradicated but continue to stay despite actions by Ghana Health Service (GHS) and government of Ghana and Carter center.

The under ground waters are also said to be full of alkaline, fluoride, high chlorine content that makes its usage or consumption impossible. Most communities whose are forced to drink from these water sources and now suffering tooth decay and gum disease. Climate change had worsened the plight of these people leaving in breadline for clean drinking water.     

 In Some communities women and children have to trek for distance in search for cleaner water for house chores. they apparently have to compete with animals for the scare resource to make a living.

Aftermath of Durban conference: CARE demands immediate review of “Green Fund establishment”

Francis Npong, Accra-Ghana,  Officials of CARE International are unhappy with the outcome of the just ended Climate

Mr. Baba Tuahiru addressing participants during the workshop

Change negotiation Conference (COP17) held in Durban, South Africaand demanded immediate review. According to the organization, though the parties agreed on the establishment of “Green Fund” at the last minutes before the end of COP17, the source(s) of the fund was/were not established.

This, CARE said would not only make the implementation of climate actions difficult but would render the ‘binding agreement’ in the Kyoto Protocolineffective. The organization however demanded immediate review to establish sources of funding to “Green fund” to finance effective climate change campaigns the world over.

A Coordinator of CARE Ghana, Mr. Baba Tuahiru who expressed the opposition of the organization was addressing experts and some members of civil society organizations operating in Ghana during a day’s workshop on climate change adaptation experiences in Ghana.

The workshop which was organized by “Building Capacity to meet the climate change challenge (B4C) project” being run by the University of Ghana in collaboration with CARE International Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP), Ghana Wildlife Society, Centre for African Wetlands and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology held at the Centre for African Wetlands Auditorium at the University of Ghana reviewed the just ended COP17 and discussed climate challenges arising in Ghana.

Mr. Tuahiru stated that the feet dragging by developed countries to support by ratifying Kyoto Protocol document to make it binding to deal with climate change was unfortunate. “it is unfortunate that developed nations were unwilling to support Kyoto Protocol to make it binding on parties though they are aware the impacts of their activities on developing countries”, he said.

“To avoid blames, a green fund was established but there was no source(s) of funding and that will make the realization of that fund difficult”, he stressed. Climate Change, Mr. Tuahiru pointed out does not affect developed nations alone and that the economic meltdown in developed nations given rise to youth uprising was partly because of climate change. He however, urged developed nations to develop their own adaptation programmes, and integrate them into their development plans, build climate resilience projects to reduce the effects global warming their people.

He said that CARE was collaborating with a number of organizations in some African nationsto implementation Adaptation Learning Programme aimed at integrating climate change policies in people’s daily activities.

Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu of the University of Ghana addressing participants during the workshop

The University of Ghana’s B4C project Director Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu disclosed that the University of Ghana through B4C project would soon rollout climate change courses to build capacities of people in Africa to help cope with climate change effects.

She said the project would also support the first 15 students that enrolled into the programme as parts of the university’s plans to support the continent to cope with development challenges rises as a result of climate change. The institution Prof. Ntiamoa-Baidu hinted would also undertake research to determine the level of climate change effects on livelihoods and development.

She appealed for partnership and collaboration to help them train human resources to build climate change resilience projects to support the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable within the Africa continent. Some of the topics discussed during the workshop includes building capacity for the climate change challenge B4C project, Climate change adaptation through integrated water resources management in the three northern regions of Ghana, lessons from conservation agriculture practices, climate change and health in Accra project, climate change and food security in the Afram Plains in Ghana , importance of technology in climate change adaptation and sharing information on water management systems and livelihoods project under the global water Initiative among other topics. The workshop also proposed capacity building for government and policy makers and implementers, building climate change resilience projects, integration of climate change into national development plans and programmes and equipping rural dwellers the necessary knowledge and technologies to improve agricultural practices, forestation and forest conservation and the use of efficient energy technologies as a way forward to the adaptation of climate change in Ghana.

Chancellor calls for establishment of sheanut research institute in north

Shear tree

Francis Npong, Tamale

The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University for Development studies (UDS) Prof. Kaku Sagary Nokoe has called on the government to as a matter of urgency establish sheanut Development Board and Sheanut Research Institute with budgetary allocations just as Cocoa Research Institute to encourage research into the commercialization of the shea tree.
According to him, the placement of sheanut industry under COCOBOD by government was disincentive to its development.

He therefore recommended to the government to separate the sheanut industry from cocoa industry by setting up an independent board to be called Sheanut Development Board which would be entrusted with the responsibility to oversee the affairs and development of sheanut industry.

Prof. Nokoe made the call at a press conference organized by the authorities of the university after the Third Harmattan School; a policy think-tank group on the northern Ghana held at GET fund Hotel in Tamale.

The Harmattan School is an initiative of the University for Development studies which fundamental responsibility is to function as a forensic advocacy group that ensures improved accountability in the development discourse of the north.

This year’s school which was organized by the university in collaboration with Center for Continuing Education and Interdisciplinary Research was under the theme: Food security and poverty reduction: Conventional and non-conventional food production”.

He explained that just as there was cocoa research institute establishing sheanut research institute would encourage research into the development and commercialization of shea tree. This he observed would help reduce poverty among the people living in the three northern regions.

Prof. Nokoe also called on government, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies to help promote small scale irrigation development in all districts of the north to facilitate dry season farming. This would help solve the food insecurity, hunger and starvation in the regions, he observed.

Stressing the need for research into indigenous food and cash crops, the Acting Chancellor of UDS called on government and her development partners to make funding available to research into native crops which are crucial in the fight against hunger and starvation and food insecurity in the north.

He said special efforts should also be made by government to develop guinea fowl industry as well as small and large ruminants’ production which have competitive advantage in the north.

He called on government and its development partners to provide credit facilities that were readily accessibly to women and vulnerable to empower them economically. These credit facilities should have low interest rates or interest free to ensure that the poor and vulnerable could access it.

Battle over Sheini Iron Ore Concession; Lands Minister and A-G dragged to court

Francis Npong, Tamale

Sheini Hills

The counsel for Inlands Ghana Mines, a registered mining company, Esq. John A. Ndebugre has filed a suit against the minister of lands and Natural Resources and Attorney General at the Accra High Court praying for an order of judiciary review to compel the respondents to grant prospecting license to enable his client begin the development of Sheini Iron Ore concession in the northern region.

The writ filed on the 17^th of October, 2011 stated in part that Inland Ghana Mines which is registered under the companies Act, 1963, act 179 undertook various investigations and submitted its finding on the Sheini iron ore as mandated by the law.

And that the mineral commission which is under the ministry of Lands and Natural Resources acknowledged it report being very comprehensive but however failed or refused to grant the company the prospecting licenses to begin exploration upon applications.

The ministers the writ stated failed to respond to the letters written by the Inland Ghana Mines limited seeking answers to the activities of one company called Emma lands Ghana Limited and Cardero Resource Corp as mandated by the mining law of Ghana.

The counsel for Inland Ghana Ltd stated in his suit that his client though undertook all legal processes regarding Sheini iron ore concession it was not being fairly treated.

Based on this the counsel is praying the court to compel the authorities particularly the minister of Lands and natural resources, and Attorney general to grant his client the license to enable the company begin the development works of the sheini iron ore concession.

However, a press release issued by Cardero Resources Corp and published by Marketwire,British Colombia on the 10/26/11 claimed that it has been advised by Emmaland Resources Limited, its Ghanaian joint venture partner (“Emmaland”), the minister of Lands and Natural Resources has given his  final approval for the grant to Emmaland  three prospecting licenses covering lands located in the Zabzugu-Tatale District in the Northern Region of theRepublic of Ghana and referred to as the Sheini Hills Iron Project (approximately 400 square kilometres in aggregate).  The release stated “accordingly, Emmaland has submitted to the Minerals Commission (Ghana) (“MinCom”) the final documentation required for the formal issuance of the prospecting licenses and anticipates that they should be issued around the beginning of November, 2011”.  It said that Cardero has negotiated joint ventures with Emmaland pursuant to which the Company can acquire a 100% working interest in each of the three licenses.

The Sheini Hills Iron formation, occurring as hematite with a lesser component of magnetite, has an indicated average thickness of 50 to 150 metres and can be followed by surface mapping and sampling for a minimum of 30 kilometres of strike. The mineralized system appears to be flat to gently dipping at surface, forming north-south trending prominent ridges.

The Sheini Hills Iron Project is a large-scale iron project, which is in line with Cardero’s bulk commodity focus, and is anticipated to add considerably to the Company’s existing coal and iron resource base.

It could be remembered sometime this year that the mineral commission detailed all companies interested in the development of Sheini Iron Ore concession to submit their detail proposals to the commission to enable it choose the “well to do” company which has the capacity to build the iron ore factory in Northern region, near the raw material as part of strategies to offer jobs in the area which is perceived to be poverty stricken. Stay tuned as the Enquirer brings you the nitty-gritty of the Sheini iron ore concession, activities of the companies, individuals who has interest in the project, the side of the communities and chiefs who feel being neglected in the process.

Nine Rat Hunter In Court For Bush fire Offences

Francis Npong

The presiding judge of the Tamale Magistrate Court, His Worship Gabriel Mate-Teye has issued a stem warning to politicians, opinion leaders, and chiefs in the Metropolis who for wants of popularity would try to influence judiciary system to desist or face the law.

The judge who was emotional charged issued this warning when nine persons arrested and charged with unlawful and negligently causing damage contrary to section 12 of the 172 Act 29/60 of the criminal code appeared before him to answer these charges brought against them by the officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The nine persons include six juveniles were arrested by the Tamale police somewhere in January 2011 for setting fire to the bush that destroyed a 36 acre cowpea farm at Nyamelga, a farming community on the Salaga road.

Though the pleas of the six juveniles were not taken the court however granted to reappear in court on the 16^thMarch 2011 to enable the court making arrangement to hear the case of these under aged children in camera as stipulated by the law.

Two of remaining three pleaded guilty to the offence and would be sentenced on the 21^st when they reappear before it.Before adjoining the case to 16^th and 21^st of this month respectively, the judge, His Worship Gabriel Mate-Teye who commended EPA officials for resisting pressures and influences for bringing the case before the court observed with concerns the negative effects of rampant bushfire in the northern region saying his outfit would deal drastically with any persons brought before it on charges of setting fire to the bush.

The nine accused persons were on hunting expedition at Nyamalga, a community near Tamale metropolis where they allegedly set fire to the bush which subsequently destroyed a 36 acre cowpea farm, according to the prosecutor Inspector Johnson Keremeng.He said on the 22^nd day of January 2011, the northern regional director of the EPA lodged a complain to the police that some were burning people’s farms in search for rates.

The police quickly dispatch a patron team who arrested the suspects at the scene.Some rates which were tended in court as evidence were retrieved from the accused persons. The police the prosecutor said also retrieved 25 bicycles, and a motor bike which the suspects claimed ownership. The judge however adjoined the case to 16^th and 21^st of this month and issued warning to people to desist from acts that turned to influence judiciary system or justice.

Ghana launched Sustainable Land, Water Management Project

 Francis Npong, Tamale

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MEST) has launched 8.15 million US dollars new environmental project in Tamale aimed to reduce land degradation and improve biodiversity conservation in northern Ghana.

The project dubbed Ghana sustainable Land and Water Management Project (SLWM) is part of efforts by the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology (MEST) and for that matter the Ghana government to demonstrate improved sustainable land and water management practices to reduce land degradation enhance maintenance of biodiversity in micro-watersheds and strengthen spatial planning for identification of linked watershed investments.

With the funding support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and World Bank (WB), the new environmental project which seeks to introduce new agricultural technology for adoption to improve land and water management to reverse desertification, land degradation and water pollutions would benefit the Upper West, East and Northern regions.

The project, according to the Executive Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Daniel Amlalo represents a comprehensive approach to sustainable land and watershed management and would combine what he termed “soft and hard” investments at the community level to manage and maintain ecological infrastructure with planning activities to be integrated into water and flood management in northern Ghana and agro-agricultural zones.

Mr. Amlalo who was speaking during the official launch of the project explained that the sustainable land and water management project is a five year Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and World Bank assistance under both Land Degradation Focal Area (LDFA) which is contributing $ 7.15, million, and Biodiversity Focal Area (BFA) $1 million while the Ghana government would contribute in kind an estimated amount of $7.8 million as part of her efforts to help deal with land degradation, loss of biodiversity and protection and maintenance of watersheds under the new project.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Enquuirer, the Technical Director at the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) Dr. Nicholas Iddi explained that the new project is not would only maintain watersheds and fights desertification and land degradation but also would work toward economic transformation to facilitate development and reduce extreme poverty in northern Ghana.

He said that the project is also taking onboard the ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Forestry commission (FC), Wildlife Division, and District Assemblies as partners or implementing agencies to achieve the desire result.

The challenges of desertification, land degradation and drought while real, are solvable but would need not just multi-million dollars projects but the commitment of implementing agencies to implement the project fully.


The launch of this so-called comprehensive project will definitely not open up northern Ghana or help transform the area if strategies used to implement similar projects aimed to transform the area were not changed.

Most of these projects though are good failed because the implementing agencies do not involve community members whereas most strategies and technologies introduce are either expansive to adopt and manage or could not be fused into indigenous existing technologies. It is hoped this project would take into consideration the existing indigenous technologies and integrate it into the new project plans, and involve community members to make it community own. 

Forestry Commission Cities: DCE, Police In Timber Deal

some piles of rosewood beams

Francis Npong, Tamale

A chain saw operator who allegedly felled over 1000 trees in Saboba District in the Northern Region after securing a permit from the district assembly to do so has been arrested by the Yendi police.

The Chain saw operator identified as Dari Abass who is now helping police investigations and his accomplices, now at large were transporting full loads of rosewood beams in two cargo trucks with registration numbers AS 5237X and ER 7362 E to Accra when the tracks were impounded by the youth in Ugando community in the Saboba district on the suspicion of illegality.

The case, which is now before the forestry commission in Yendi has implicated the District Chief Executive for Saboba Mr. Adolf Ali and a number of personnel in the Saboba District Assembly and Saboba Police for complicity and bribery.

Briefing the Enquirer in his office the Northern regional Director of the Forestry Commission Mr. Ebenezer Djaney Djagletey who suspected complicity in the felling of trees among the major stakeholders in the Saboba District indicated his office readiness to bring perpetrators of the act to book irrespective of the position of people involved.

To help the commission deal with the issue, the Director has petitioned the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to look into the matter citing uncooperative of the district police, issuance of permit by the district assembly and the growing tension between the communities in that Electoral Area.

The Enquirer information indicated that some key personnel of the district including DCE were alleged bribed with unspecified cash by the chain saw operator to allow then carry out his act.

A receipt in possession of the Enquirer dated 18^th August 2011 under the heading “permit” issued to Mr. Dari Abass by the Saboba District Assembly reads “Received from Dari Abass the sum of one thousand Ghana cedis (Ghc1,000) on the account of felling trees in the Saboba District” was in fulfillment of the agreement between them.

The illegal lumbering was done at the time the government was spending huge sums of taxpayers money trying to revamp the depleted forest in Ghana and as measures to check climate change.

Currently this issue of lumbering is said to have tempered with the security as communities such as Ugando, Jagrido, and Nangundo were allegedly bracing fight.

For reasons, the forestry commission has petitioned the Northern Regional Security Council to intervene to allow the law to take it course.

The investigative team of the commission though has not been able to ascertain the actual acreage of the forest depleted but the manager pointed out that number of rosewood beams seen around the bushes in the depleted area so far  suggested about 5,000 hectares of land would have been affected.

The chain saw operator was allegedly hired by a Tema based wood trading company, to deplete the forest at Saboba District after it was realized the rosewood beams which is currently on high demand in the world market in abundant in the north.

Though the law in Ghana forbids commercial wood logging in any part of northern Ghana, personnel of the Saboba District who were supposed to help enforced government directives rather aid the culprits by granting them permit to the illegitimate act.

Speaking in a telephone interview, the Yendi Forestry manager Mr. Henry Kudiabo said alleged that the Saboba District police were frustrating the move by the commission to deal with the lumbering in the area. He said that the police were not cooperating with his office leaving room to suspect some complicity.

He was also unhappy with the personnel of the saboba District Assembly for issuing permit to the chain saw operators to cut down trees when his office was making efforts to revamp the already depleted vegetation in the region.

“The tree felling was going on in the district for month now but the assembly did nothing to stop

but rather aid”, he said. The efforts to contact the DCE for Saboba District Mr. Adolf Ali for his comment was unsuccessful as all his phone lines available to the Enquirer could not go through. However the

Enquirer was informed the DCE had travelled out of the district when it made a subsequent phone call to the District assembly.

Rural water provision:…GDCA rescuescommunities

Francis Npong, Tamale

As water crisis hit rural communities in Northern region, a Non-for-Profit Making Organization, Ghana Developing Community Association (GDCA) has introduced low cost technology to provide water to underprivileged rural dwellers.

The technology which makes use of local materials is part of coping mechanisms to climate change. The organization is currently implementing the programme in Yendi, Karaga and Gushegu where water situation was critical.

Under the technology, simple tools are used to construct or dig river bed wells, and boreholes which are fixed with hand pumps for easy drawing of water. The initiative is part of efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals on water.

The organization had also introduced “sand damming” to provide water to these communities that were in dire need of the drinking water and for household chores.

The programme Manager of the Community Livelihood Improvement (CLIP) Mr. Illiasu Adam who disclosed this during GDCA- media review meeting said that the practice is done at underprivileged communities in rural Ghana where evidence of climate change and water crisis is obvious.

He explained that the initiative was taken after the organization had deliberated on the government water policy which was realized would not benefit communities with the population less 300.

The programme manager said that there was the need to support these poor communities because the government was concentrating on urban and peri-urban communities in the provision of water to the detriment of rural communities who were without portable drinking water.

He said that the community members are trained to assembled and dismantled pumps fixed on river bed wells to enable them fix them at the time of needs. Pumps are often fixed to river bed wells during dry season and remove when the rains set in whereas clay sacks are used to create blockage of river tributaries to prevent water from run out of the river.

The system, the programme manager which is now been used to irrigate vegetables pointed out that was improving the socio-economic conditions of the people.

The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Developing communities Association (GDCA) Mr. Osman Rahman said the organization was committed to reducing poverty and improving socio-economic conditions of rural dwellers.

He said it was aganst this background that various initiatives are deplored to meet the target of the organization.

The Government Urged To Give Priority Attention to Environment

Give priority attention to Environment-participants urged govt

Francis Npong, Tamale

Participants at a day’s environmental consultative forum to review environmental policies in Ghana have urged the government to pay attention to environmental issues through effective and implementable legislative frame works.

The forum which brought together chiefs, environmental experts, and gender and human rights advocates, district coordinating directors and media  was to review the national environmental draft policy as part of efforts to help deal with emerging environmental issues including climate change and global warming.

According to the participants the environmental related issues have not been given the needed attention it deserves which explains why the nation was engulf with filth and environmental degradation.

“We need effective and implementable national environmental policy to help deal with the emerging challenges relating to environment. The policy be should able to curve out copping mechanism to climate change, global warming and food and land security”, the stressed.

The participants however were unhappy with the ways and manner environmental issues are being tackled in Ghana and urged politicians to desist from politicizing issues relating to environment to spare the nation from environmental calamities and diseases.    

The forum which was organised by the ministry of Environment Science and Technology in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was part of efforts to streamline activities that affect the environment greatly.

It was also to help the nation catch up with copping measures to climate change that affect food security and livelihoods.

Addressing participants during the forum the Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology Mr. George Scott said the achievement of a sustainable socio-economic development was possible only if country is able to safe its rich environmental resources.

    

He explained that environmental issues must be concerns of every individual and that the government alone would not be able to deal with it its effectively.

He however was unhappy with indiscriminate felling of trees, refuse disposal and inabilities of contractors to refill lands after winning sand and gravel for contraction purposes with impunity though reclaiming has always been part of contractual agreements.

This he observed was so because the offenders were not taken to task or punished for negligence which must be looked at again.

    

The National Environmental Policy under review seeks to promote the integration and coordination of its approach to environmental and governance among other things to create a sense of ownership in individual, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to control environment. 

    

The review seeks to find ways of assuming new tactics to protect the nation’s ecological system to enhance environmental management and governance.

    

The national Project Coordinator of the Ghana Environmental Authority (GECCA) Dr Nicholas K. Iddi, who presented the proposed national environmental policy said that Ghana’s rich natural resources were diminishing because of over exploration. He said that the new drafted environmental law or policy would streamline the exploration of these resources, and check abuses of environment and punish environmental offenders.

    

He bemoaned the inability of successive governments to fully implement environmental laws to safe guard the nation’s environment though each policy on environment was good and could have prevented people from excessive exploration of natural resources.

He appealed to the appropriate law enforcement agencies to ensure that environmental laws were effectively implemented.

The kind of ecological calamity that sent Ethiopia and Sunden’s Darfur from relative food sovereignty to food scarcity may pretty soon fall on Ghana’s lot, as Sahara Desert has continued to turn the northern parts of Ghana into wasteland and marches violently and unstoppably southwards.
This is the result of the government’s inability to control the excessive exploration of wood log for the burning of charcoal or firewood.

According to environmental experts, about 35% of the total land mass of the country has already been swallowed by the advancing desert and the three northern regions, Upper East, West and Northern, which together constitute about 40% of the total land mass of the country are the worst affected area.
It is estimated that the 8.2 million hectares of the closed forest of the country have been depleted leaving a current level estimated at 1.9 to 2.0 million hectares.
This experience has also taken a heavy toll on the economy. For instance, in 1998, the total estimated annual loss due to environmental degradation amounted to GH¢41.7 thousand, representing 4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
The three northern regions which fall under the savannah zone cover 55% of the country’s land mass in 1972 and had been expanded to 58.1% by 2000.
Documents at the forestry departments stated that the forest cover of northern zone constituted about 41,600km in 1952, which represent about 46% of the total land area of the three regions, but the unregulated exploitation of these resources to meet the economic needs of the growing population of the people and livestock have reduced the forest cover of the land to semi-desert and wasteland.
Though desertification was arguably the first environmental issue to be recognized as taking place on global scale Africans countries has placed their focuses on physical infrastructure development to the detriment of environment which is now catching up with them. Land degradation, through sand wining, tree felling, bush burning and construction has turned the vegetation cover in Northern Ghana into waste and semi-desert land aggravating poverty, hunger and starvation, diseases, and youth migration, armed robbery among other social vices.

memos

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