By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, June 9, GNA -The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has underscored the need to plant trees since a matured tree could provide oxygen up to 10 persons annually.
He said trees played a significant role in cleansing the air and ensuring the welbeing of the people, hence it was imperative to mobilise the collective action of all stakeholders to plant trees and nurture them into maturity.
The Minister said over 23 million seedlings out of about 33 million planted survived in the first two editions of the Green Ghana Day in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Speaking at the commemorative tree planting exercise at the University of Ghana, Legon, to mark the Third edition of the Green Ghana Day, Mr Jinapor said the day was set aside to mobilise the entire nation to support the Government’s aggressive afforestation and reforestation, to restore the lost forest cover.
The tree planting exercise would also contribute to the global fight against climate change and reduce the country’s greenhouse gas by 64 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030.
It was on the theme: “Our Forests, Our Health”.
President Nana Akufo-Addo was the Special Guest of Honour for the national ceremony.
Ten million seedlings including teak, ornamental and multi-purpose seedlings are expected to be planted nationwide by individuals, corporate entities, traditional rulers, ministers and students.
Mr Jinapor was optimistic that this year’s exercise would be a grand success, noting it downsized the target to 10 million to ensure that more attention is given to nurturing trees planted in previous years.
The Minister entreated all well-meaning Ghanaians to plant a tree, saying; “All we require from Ghanaians is to come out, pick up seedlings, plant and nurture to it maturity”.
“It is through this leadership, and the support of Ghanaians and other residents of Ghana, that we have consistently exceeded our target since the commencement of the Project in 2021.
“And I am confident that today, the Green Ghana Day, will be another resounding success”.
He said the theme chosen by ceremony was inspired by the theme for this year’s International Day of Forests, observed each year on March 21, that underscored the importance of forests, and for that matter trees, to our health, our survival, and the survival of planet earth.
“According to expert reports, one matured tree can provide oxygen for up to ten (10) people annually. This is how essential trees are to our very survival,” the Minister said
The wealth of a nation, he said, depended on its health, noting that “if trees are crucial for our health, then, they are, obviously, indispensable to our socio-economic development”.
That is why under the direction of President Akufo-Addo, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, acting through the Forestry Commission, continues to implement several interventions, in collaboration with state and non-state actors, to address deforestation and forest degradation.
These include the implementation of the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, the Forest Investment Programme (FIP), the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP), and the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI).
“Under the Forest Plantation Strategy, in particular, I am happy to report that between 2017 and 2022, we have cultivated over six hundred and ninety thousand hectares of forest, through initiatives such as, forest plantation, enrichment planting and trees-on-farm,” he said.
Recognise the important role trees play in cities and towns in the provision of clean air and the beautification of the landscapes, Mr Jinapor said, last year, his Ministry, in partnership with the Departments of Parks and Gardens, and Urban Roads launched the Green Streets Project.
The Project intended to plant appropriate trees in the medians of the roads, and along major streets, to beautify the cities, and provide environmental related benefits for a healthy and sustainable world.
The Project has already begun in Accra, from the Tetteh-Quashie Interchange, through Okponglo, to Legon PRESEC.
In due course, it would be scaled up to cover all major roads in Accra and other regional capitals across the country.
The Green Ghana Day was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2021 as part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation agenda of the government.
The initiative is intended to restore the lost forest cover of the country devastated by the illegal small-scale mining and timber logging.
The maiden edition targeted to plant five million trees but ended up planting over seven million seedlings.
In 2022, more than 26 million trees were planted, exceeding the 20 million targets.
The Government since 2017 has been taking proactive measures to restore the country’s lost forest cover, hence the Green Ghana Project is a necessary intervention to create national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of the degraded landscapes.
The programme also aims at inculcating values of planting and nurturing of trees in the citizens, particularly among the younger generation, to mitigate the negative effects of climate change as well as beautifying the environment.
On average, more than 81 percent of the seedlings planted in 2021 survived while 72 percent survived in 2022.
GNA