By Emelia B Addae
Koforidua, June 8, GNA – The Eastern Regional Coordinating Council has launched the 2024 Green Ghana Day with a call on all and sundry to ensure the nurturing and survival of tree seedlings planted.
At the 2024 Green Ghana Day celebration in Koforidua, Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister, emphasised that the most crucial aspect of afforestation efforts was not just about planting, but rather the survival of the seedlings planted.
“You will agree with me that the most important issue to do with afforestation effort has little to do with planting, but the survival of the seedlings planted,” he said.
The celebration was on the theme: “Growing for a Greener Tomorrow.”
He noted that the theme for this year’s event emphasised the enormous responsibility on everyone to ensure that future generations inherited richer, better, and more valuable forests and wildlife endowments than “we have inherited.”
He also said it was obvious that the environment was changing rapidly as a result of destruction caused to forests and water bodies through human activities such as illegal mining, illegal chainsaw operation, and bad farming practices.
The Green Ghana Day was introduced as part of an aggressive national afforestation and reforestation programme by the government to restore Ghana’s lost forest cover and contribute to climate change mitigation efforts.
Mr. Isaac Noble Eshun, Eastern Regional Manager of the Forestry Services Division of the Forestry Commission, said the Division was targeting to plant 700,000 tree seedlings across the region.
According to him, several tree species such as cassia, odum, soursop, coconut, ofram, mango, mahogany and ceiba had been given out to its offices for distribution to individuals, churches, mosques, and institutions.
The offices include Donkorkrom, Begoro, Kyebi, Kade, Somanya, and Akim Oda.
He noted that trees were crucial in every aspect of human life, as they contributed to the environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, mitigating climate change, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife.
At the launch, approximately 300 seedlings were planted by participants at the Roads and Highway Training School in Koforidua to mark the 2024 Green Ghana Day.
GNA