The Uprising Nature Of Deforestation In Ghana

The menace of the issue of the loss of the forest cover in Ghana and the entire world has erupted numerous bad impacts to the entire citizenry of the country. We need to lay down drastic measures in order for this canker to minimise or better still prevented. An ignorant and confused mind would wonder what at all this issue may mean. Deforestation as known by many as the scenario or the act whereby the forest cover specifically trees are cut down indiscriminately for some purposes. According to Prof. Emmanuel Morgan Attua, he simply refers it as the loss of the forest cover in a place which proceeds at different rates depending on the location and vegetative cover of a country. He specifies that Ghana’s deforestation rate is very high generally because the country depends on a lot of natural resources related to the vegetative cover. According to Prof, the deforestation rate for Ghana at the moment is about 3.2%. He continues to say that the rate could have been higher but it is just because the country has fewer forest which has served as a constraint to people using them for such activity.

The reasons for the emergence of this environmental canker in nature are very massive, complex and above all interrelated. Prof. Attua resulted that the causes associated with deforestation can be categorised in two main factors namely the immediate and underlying factors. The immediate and therefore the direct cause of deforestation is mainly agriculture whereas the underlying ones would result from the total number of people living in a country, poverty, the land tenure system of the country and much more. He clearly stated that before any policy would work vigorously, it all depends on its implementation. He further goes on to say that most of the lands of the country are managed by many indiscipline and irresponsible traditional authorities in the sense that the traditional leaders give unapproved permits to people to engage in galamsey and illegal mining activities. According to Prof, about 80% of the land are vested in the hands of stools and skins whereas the government only owns less than 15% of the land of the nation.

Nevertheless, he goes on to spell out major effects of deforestation on the entire country focusing on the high global change in climate resulting from high carbon dioxide budget, the loss of forest products both timber and non-timber products, the loss of habitats of settlements and so on.

When asked to share his opinion and views on how the above-stated factors are solved, he made mention of the efficient and effective policy implementations by the government. He also talked about the change of attitude of the entire citizenry resulting from the fear of God.

Professor Emmanuel Morgan Attua, former Head of the department(2010-2012) and a lecturer in the Department of Geography & Resource Development, University of Ghana.