The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. Armah Kofi Buah, has revealed that the Amanzule Wetlands, located in the Western Region, have been formally designated as a Ramsar Site.
This status grants the globally important wetland stronger safeguards against ecological damage and unauthorised resource extraction.
Addressing attendees at the World Ocean Day event in Atuabo, within the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, Hon. Buah highlighted the urgent requirement for unified efforts to shield the nation’s marine and coastal habitats from escalating environmental dangers.
The Minister noted that defending the seas and wetlands is a mutual obligation.
He stated that it demands the energetic involvement of state agencies, international development allies, private corporations, academic institutions, and neighborhood residents.
Additionally, the Minister called on all parties involved to leverage this year’s World Ocean Day as a turning point to dedicate themselves anew to shielding the Amanzule Wetlands alongside Ghana’s various other coastal habitats.
He maintained that commercial growth should never occur to the detriment of ecological balance, reaffirming the state’s resolve to guard vulnerable natural territories.
Furthermore, Hon. Buah disclosed that he has instructed the Minerals Commission alongside other oversight bodies to update their spatial mapping to reflect that the Amanzule Wetlands are now a conservation area where all mining ventures are strictly prohibited.
Echoing these sentiments, Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, the Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), highlighted the critical role that wetlands and ocean environments play.
She noted that the Western Region was selected to host the World Ocean Day activities due to the vital role the Amanzule Wetlands play in the nation’s broader nature conservation strategies.
She indicated that the EPA is actively striving to finalize Ramsar Site credentials for the Amanzule Wetlands and expressed optimism regarding state initiatives to defend the territory from practices that compromise its natural balance.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, Dr. Musonda Mumba, applauded Ghana for drawing attention to the deep links connecting wetlands to the sea during the World Ocean Day events.
She pointed out that terrestrial practices frequently cause severe impacts on ocean life, cautioning that ecological threats like wildcat mining, tree clearing, and shifting global weather patterns persist in endangering both marshlands and marine zones.
Dr. Mumba lauded the dedication displayed by state leaders, indigenous rulers, regional populations, and the youth in championing environmental conservation.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana