By Emmanuella Owusu, GNA
Ashaiman, June 06, GNA- The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has issued a strong call for urgent action against climate change, warning that the increasing frequency of environmental disasters is a direct consequence of unsustainable human activities.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Environment Day celebration in Ashaiman, organised by the National Commission on Civic Education on the theme “Climate Action: Inspired by Nature, For Climate, For Our Future”, Ms Priscilla Arhin, Deputy Director of the EPA for the Greater Accra East Region, said the earth was sending clear warning signals that could no longer be ignored.
“The planet is no longer negotiating; it is only sending signals,” she stated, citing extreme heatwaves, wildfires, and the rapid melting of glaciers as evidence of the growing climate crisis.
Ms Arhin identified flooding as one of Ghana’s most pressing environmental challenges and attributed the increasing occurrence of floods to poor environmental practices by citizens.
She said indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and the construction of buildings on waterways continued to obstruct the natural flow of water and worsen flooding during heavy rains.
“We sit down and complain day in and day out, but the flooding is becoming too much, all because of our own attitude,” she noted.
She stressed that while government interventions remained important, individual responsibility was critical to restoring and protecting the environment.
According to her, environmental sustainability could only be achieved if citizens complemented government efforts by adopting responsible environmental practices.
Ms Arhin also expressed concern about the destruction of Ghana’s natural resources through illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.
She noted that several forest reserves had been severely degraded, while major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra and Birim, had suffered extensive pollution as a result of illegal mining.
She called on citizens to collectively abandon practices that harm the environment and work towards restoring degraded ecosystems.
“Let us come together as a nation to do away with the negative tendencies that are causing harm to the environment,” she urged, adding, “Let us heal the environment and make it a better place for all of us to live in.
Also speaking at the event, Ms Salvata Mawulom Koku, Ashaiman Municipal Director of the NCCE, urged students to adopt responsible waste management practices, particularly the proper disposal of plastic waste.
She said the NCCE continued to educate young people on environmental stewardship to empower them to become agents of positive change within their communities.
Ms Koku stressed that the environment did not negotiate, and citizens must recognise the warning signs of environmental degradation and act collectively to safeguard the earth for future generations.
She encouraged students to take environmental education seriously and translate knowledge acquired into practical actions that would contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Emmanuella Owusu, GNA