By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), Sept. 11, GNA – The Weto Platform, a coalition of environmental civil society organisations, has raised concerns over the emerging developments, threatening years of environmental restoration and community conservation efforts in parts of the Akwapim-Togo Mountain Range (ATMR) in Volta and Oti Regions.
Mr Pascal Benson Atiglah, the Coordinator of the Weto Platform, said the concerns were raised at the Platform’s Annual General Meeting held in Ho on 1st July 2026, where members expressed alarm over alleged environmental degradation, threats to infrastructure and growing tensions between communities, traditional authorities and state actors.
At a press briefing Mr Atiglah said two massive borrow pits had been created at Tsito-Anyirawase and along the Hohoe-Satrokofi area, without adequate community consultation, environmental impact assessments or clear restoration plans.
He said the activities were destabilising slopes above Tsito and Anyirawase, where communities and the University of Ghana’s Tsito Learning Centre were located, while mudslides were reportedly affecting roads and increasing turbidity in the Tsawoe Stream.
Mr Atiglah said the situation posed risks to aquatic life and farming activities and could expose communities to danger during periods of heavy rainfall or earth tremors.
The Platform also raised concerns over the alleged damming and excavation of the Asukawkaw River, which it described as the main source of water for surrounding communities.
Mr Atiglah said community members had alleged that a newly installed Chief of Asukawkaw Newtown, who resided in Accra, had claimed ownership of the river and authorised dredging activities.
He said the excavation could threaten the only bridge linking communities in the southern parts of the Oti Region to Dambai, the regional capital.
He said deterioration in water quality was also raising concerns about possible health risks, while the reported destruction of an oil-palm plantation without consent or compensation had worsened economic hardship and heightened tensions within the affected communities.
Mr Atiglah further expressed concern over allegations that the Asukawkaw Nature Reserve had been converted into grazing grounds through the alleged collaboration of traditional and forestry authorities.
He said while community members were reportedly prevented from accessing the forest, cattle grazing activities were allegedly being permitted within the reserve, threatening its ecological integrity.
The situation had also weakened trust between community members and forest guards, resulting in youth volunteers withdrawing from wildfire prevention activities and leaving parts of the reserve increasingly vulnerable to bushfires, he said.
The Weto Platform warned that these developments had the potential to reverse years of biodiversity restoration, threaten livelihoods, increase rural-urban migration and insecurity, and expose roads, bridges and settlements to erosion and flooding.
It also warned that escalating tensions among communities, traditional authorities and state institutions could create conditions for conflict if the concerns were not urgently addressed.
Mr Atiglah said the environmental concerns could have implications beyond the affected communities, noting that continued degradation could undermine Ghana’s commitments under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and affect confidence among development and climate-finance partners.
The Platform had therefore called for immediate investigations into the alleged environmental infractions and appropriate sanctions against persons found culpable.
It also demanded adequate compensation for affected communities and the organisation of community engagement forums to address grievances and prevent potential conflicts.
It further called for effective restoration mechanisms to reclaim degraded sites and restore the affected ecosystems and their associated services.
Mr Atiglah said the Weto Platform represented an example of what could be achieved when communities, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and institutions worked together to protect landscapes and livelihoods.
He cited the Platform’s previous restoration efforts, including transforming fire-prone mountain landscapes into productive honey-producing areas, restoring degraded land and supporting women farmers, as evidence of the value of community-driven environmental stewardship.
He, however, cautioned that failure by state institutions to act decisively could undermine those gains and discourage development partners from investing in environmental and climate programmes.
The Weto Platform was established under the Satoyama Initiative, with support from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the COMDEKS Programme, as a multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism to safeguard the Akwapim-Togo Mountain Range across the Volta and Oti Regions.
Mr Atiglah called on policymakers, development partners, traditional authorities, communities and citizens to support sustainable and inclusive management of the mountain range, saying protecting the environment was essential to Ghana’s long-term climate resilience, livelihoods and sustainable development.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo