Agronomist, Dr. Abu Sakara Doster has commended the government for the introduction of the tree planting exercise.
He, however, wants the initiative to be sustained and not be a one-off initiative.
In a statement, he indicated that ”planting trees is a commendable initiative that all Ghanaians must support. This positive initiative must be counterbalanced with actions that preserve trees and vegetation.
According to him, ”a strict policy of cattle corridors and controlled grazing must be followed to avoid damage to the trees planted as well as other vegetation. Bush fires must be checked at [the] community level. Charcoal burners must be reigned in to stop their wanton destruction of trees.
On the whole, the leadership is to be congratulated but urged to sustain this effort in the medium to long term.
Whilst we may harbour disappointments in certain areas let us not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Give credit where credit is due,” he concluded.
Tree Planting Exercise will an annual initiative
President Akufo-Addo on Friday, June 11, 2021, led Ghanaians to plant some 5 million trees nationwide.
In his address, the President said the exercise would not be a one-off event. We intend to enhance ongoing afforestation programmes, and see to the sustainable exploitation of our forest resources.
President Akufo-Addo explained that the forest is one of the most important natural resources of Ghana, as its continuous existence creates jobs, provides incomes for local communities, is a source of foreign exchange earnings through timber product exports, and offers environmental protection, including watershed protection and climate change regulation.
“However, the exploitation of forest resources for national development has not been sustainable over the years. Deforestation and forest degradation are the greatest challenges to sustainable forest management in Ghana today,” the President said.
He continued, “The consequential effect of deforestation and forest degradation is severe climate change, which has dire consequences for our livelihoods, specifically the drying up of our water bodies, the pollution of our waters, loss of our prime timber species, loss of biodiversity, and change in rainfall patterns and weather conditions in the country.”
To this end, President Akufo-Addo indicated that there is an urgent need to reverse the trend and restore the country’s forest resources, as much as possible, back to their original state.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com