President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declared June 10, 2022, as this year’s ‘Green Ghana Day’, for tree planting across the country as part of massive reforestation agenda of government.
He made the declaration yesterday at the Accra International Conference Centre when he launched the 2022 edition of the programme on the theme “Mobilising for a Greener Future”.
President Akufo-Addo said the 2022 edition of Green Ghana Day targets the planting of some 20 million trees across the country.
He called on all Ghanaians and those resident in Ghana, to go out on June 10 to plant, encourage others to do same and commit to ensure that the trees planted reach maturity.
President Akufo-Addo is hopeful that people will contribute in diverse ways to ensure that the exercise does not burden the public purse.
Green Ghana Day was instituted last year by Government, under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation agenda, to restore the lost forest cover of the country.
The maiden edition of the programme was held on June 11, 2021, during which President Akufo-Addo led the entire nation to plant over seven million trees, exceeding the target of five million trees.
Speaking at the launch, the President said forest is one of the most important natural resources of our country, as it provides sources of livelihood for many and generates income for the nation. He noted that the forest sector generated almost GH¢1,000,000,000.00 from the export last year.
He pointed out that forests are also very important to the fight against climate change and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“With just eight years to achieve the Goals we set for ourselves in the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change continues to derail our efforts, by impacting the fundamentals required to the achieve the Goals,” President Akufo-Addo noted.
He bemoaned the wanton depletion of the world’s forests, especially in Africa, where we continue to experience an increase in net forest loss.
President Akufo-Addo said a greener future is necessary for the survival of our planet, and in accord with the duty of every citizen under article 41(k) of the Constitution, to protect and safeguard the environment.
8 million hectares of forest lost
On his part, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, disclosed that the country has lost over eight million hectares of forest since 1900, but managed to plant only 157,300 hectares between 1963 and 2016.
Mr Abu Jinapor who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo in the Savannah Region said as a result of Government’s aggressive afforestation programme, 477,485.5 hectares of forest was cultivated between 2017 and the third quarter of 2021.
“Significant though this may be, it is not enough, compared to the over eight million hectares (8,000,000 ha) lost over the years,” the Minister said.
He has therefore called on people of all walks of life, to come together to build a Green Ghana. Mr. Jinapor, called for the support of all and sundry, to contribute to the programme, as the twenty million trees target, is very ambitious and will require a lot of resources.
Mr Abu Jinapor added that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, intends to pilot the concept of carbon trading with Corporate Ghana, during this year’s edition of Green Ghana.
