Agnes Ansah
Accra, June 6, GNA – The Green Diversity Foundation (GDF) Africa and the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Ghana on Wednesday commemorated World Environment Day (WED) by planting 400 trees.
The initiative was part of the two institutions’ obligation to this year’s WED, held on the theme “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience.”
The three-planting exercise was held at the Discovery Gardens in Accra.
In a brief ceremony to kick off the tree planting, Mr. Hobson Agyapong, Executive Director of GDF Africa, called for land restoration using nature-based solutions.
He said that nature-based solutions, such as tree planting and growing grass, were the most cost-effective and efficient ways of protecting the environment.
Mr. Agyapong argued that existing environmental regulations must be applied by the agencies responsible for their enforcement.
He stated that the Ghana Building Code required trees in homes and communities, but that obligation was not being observed.
Mr Agyapong stressed that if the rules were strictly followed, the country could avoid some of its present environmental challenges.
He emphasized that there was still time to change things and that the government, all stakeholders, and individuals should collaborate to protect the environment through nature-based solutions.
Mr. Amer Al Alawi, Ambassador of the UAE, said the event would enable him to leverage the platform to motivate people to act to safeguard the environment.
He called for legislative changes and environmental initiatives at the local, national, and international levels.
Ambassador Al Alawi said that his advocacy evolved from his concern about the challenges that the world faces due to global warming, which is the outcome of poor environmental practices.
He stated that land was a valuable resource that must be adequately safeguarded, and the damage caused must be remedied.
“It is time to stop exploiting the earth and start healing it. With a healthy ecosystem we can improve people’s livelihood and stop biodiversity from collapsing,” he said.
Dr. Yaw Agyemang Boafo, Dean of the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainable Studies at the University of Ghana, emphasized that implementing nature-based solutions was not solely the responsibility of the government.
He said every Ghanaian could contribute to its implementation by planting trees and being concerned about environmental issues.
Mr. John A. Pwamang, Board Chairman of GDF, said the organization remained committed to working with partners around the world to develop and implement innovative ideas that preserve the environment and ensure a sustainable future.
GNA