World Environment Day: Environmental organizations join forces on ecosystem restoration

Some organisations in Ghana with the vision to promote a clean, green, and waste-free Ghana, joined forces to contribute their quota to nation-building by tree planting with a nurturing plan.

The exercise which took place on 5th June 2021 was to mark World Environment Day which precedes the Green Ghana Project.

The exercise is in line with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration which aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean with the potential to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction, according to some experts of the Environment.

Addressing the media, Mrs Kate Opoku, Country leader of Let’s Do It Ghana, noted that this move was to create awareness and to motivate all and sundry to make meaningful commitments to restoring the ecosystem and also to fulfill her organization’s mission of creating a clean, green and safe environment in communities.

She further emphasized that with key partners on board this project such as Street Sense Organisation (SSO), Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Ghana Forestry Commission, Ghana Wildlife Society, and the Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Enterprises under Association of Ghana Industries (GRIPE-AGI), they would ensure that these trees are well taken care of to serve the purpose for which it was planted.

The National Coordinator of the Street Sense Organisation (SSO), Mr. Samson Oddoye said, “as main organizers of this project they believe growing trees along roads preserve the shoulders of the road and the attendant walkways from the effects of erosion. It also expands the life span of roads because damaged roads caused by erosion pose a threat to all users since they can cause fatalities, injuries and other negative socio-economic effects”.

The Resilience and Sustainability Advisor to the Mayor of Accra, Mr. Desmond Appiah commended the efforts of SSO’s tree growing concept of planting and nurturing.

H said he believes it’s a positive measure to achieve results. He hinted that Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had developed a Climate Action Plan and identified the need for shaded walkways and would grow more trees to check the rate of deforestation.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Loiusa Kabobah, Conservation Education Officer at Ghana Wildlife Society noted that undertaking this activity is not to please themselves but for the good of this generation and the ones to come after.

She used the opportunity to rally support for all to take positive action for the ecosystem restoration because such actions would encourage wildlife.

Working Group Member of GRIPE-AGI, Mr. Felix Baidoo also expressed their excitement to participate in such a worthy action because they are much concerned about the environment, as a company, the more reason they came together to form GRIPE-AGI to protect the environment, more importantly how to manage its sustainably.

The tree growing exercise which was on the Korle-Bu Mortuary, Ring Road West Road in Accra, saw over 300 volunteers and participants from the Solution Oriented Youth Africa, Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM), Eagle Riders Club, Ghana Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), Dansworld Services and CMA CGM, and other passerby’s who participated in the exercise.