By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA
Drobonso (Ash), June 10, GNA – The Drobonso Methodist Junior High School (JHS) in the Sekyere Afram Plains District has won a quiz competition organised for junior high schools in the community in commemoration of the 2024 World Environment Day.
The competition, which formed part of activities to mark the day, was put together by the Konongo Area Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with Miro Forestry and Timber Products and Ghana Education Service (GES).
It sought to test the knowledge of contestants on human practices, contributing to environmental degradation and measures required to combat the menace as Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark the day.
After three rounds of answering questions on climate change, land degradation, deforestation, and drought, among others, Methodist JHS emerged winners followed by Islamic JHS, Presbyterian JHS, SDA JHS in that order.
They walked away with various prizes, including textbooks, dustbins, veronica buckets, brooms, and set of drums.
Mr. Dawood Abass, the Konongo Area Head of EPA, said restoring degraded lands helped to improve food security, build resilience to climate change, and provide economic opportunities through sustainable agriculture, forestry, and ecotourism.
He said aside from playing key role in various landscape restoration, the EPA also played crucial role in protecting and conserving the country’s environment and natural resources.
“Let us be reminded that protecting our environment and restoring our degraded lands are not just the responsibility of the government.
All of us including citizens, communities, businesses, NGOs must play a role in restoring our lands,” he noted.
He underlined the need for all stakeholders to be part of the solution by working together to restore degraded lands, combat desertification and drought, and build a more resilient Ghana.
Mr. Abass applauded the contestants for exhibiting impressive knowledge on environmental issues beyond the expectation of the organisers.
“It is refreshing to see how the environmental clubs in the schools are taking environmental issues seriously considering the way they answered the questions,” he stated.
Mr. Michael Aryeh, Environmental Manager, Miro Forestry and Timber Products, said the company had formed environmental clubs in basics schools as part of efforts to inculcate environmental protection in pupils.
He said due to the tree planting activities of the company in the Sekyere Afram Plains area and climatic conditions had improved tremendously over the years.
According to him, the presence of the company was also improving livelihoods with a lot of their workforce working in their plantations and factory being natives of Drobonso and its environs.
GNA