By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Sekyere Krobo (W/R), Oct. 30, GNA – The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), in partnership with the Forestry Commission (FC), has launched a five-year forest reforestation programme aimed at planting 30,000 trees to restore 50 hectares of degraded land within the Subri River Forest Reserve in the Western Region.
The initiative, undertaken as part of MIIF’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) programme, seeks to restore the ecological integrity of the forest reserve, conserve biodiversity and promote the sustainable management of Ghana’s natural resources.
Mr Solomon Dawson, Head of Compliance and Enforcement at MIIF and Project Lead, said the programme demonstrated a shared commitment to restoring Ghana’s natural environment, safeguarding its ecological heritage and promoting responsible management of the country’s mineral wealth.
He said mineral resource management must extend beyond financial returns and ESG disclosures to encompass environmental protection and the long-term well-being of communities.
Mr Dawson explained that the sustainable management of Ghana’s mineral resources required responsible stewardship of natural assets that support the economy, communities and future generations.
According to him, that commitment had informed MIIF’s ESG agenda, particularly its focus on biodiversity conservation and the responsible management of natural resources within the mining sector.
“While mining contributes significantly to national development, its environmental and social implications demand deliberate, sustained and responsible interventions,” he said.
Mr Dawson said MIIF partnered the Forestry Commission to identify practical measures to support environmental restoration and sustainable natural resource management within the 50-hectare project area at the Subri Forest Reserve.
He stressed, however, that the success of the programme would depend on sustained maintenance, monitoring, protection and active community participation.
“As a nation endowed with valuable resources, we must remain conscious that the benefits derived from our mineral wealth should not come at the expense of our forests, water bodies, biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities,” he said.
Dr Sarfo Adu, Executive Director of the Forestry Commission, said an attempted invasion of parts of the Subri River Forest Reserve by armed illegal mining operators on October 17, 2026, underscored the challenges confronting the Commission in carrying out its constitutional mandate to protect and preserve the nation’s forests.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to supporting the rehabilitation and restoration of degraded forest reserves across the country.
Dr Adu expressed concern that illegal mining, farming and logging activities continued to destroy forest reserves, depriving the nation of critical environmental and economic benefits derived from forest resources.
Mrs Justina Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, said the initiative reflected the Fund’s commitment to responsible mineral wealth management and environmental stewardship.
She noted that while mineral resource extraction generated significant economic opportunities, such benefits must be balanced with the responsibility to protect the ecosystems that sustain communities.
“We believe that responsible resource management must consider not only the value we generate today, but also the environmental legacy tomorrow,” she said.
Mrs Nelson commended corporate institutions, the Sekyere Krobo community, traditional authorities and the District Assembly for their cooperation and support for the initiative.
She urged stakeholders to take ownership of the project and help protect the restored areas to ensure the long-term success of the biodiversity conservation effort.
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, in a speech read on his behalf, reaffirmed the Ministry’s support for the programme.
He said the survival and growth of the planted trees would serve as a measure of the collective commitment to preserving the country’s natural heritage.
Nana Kwaw Badu II, Chief of Sekyere Krobo, expressed concern about the activities of chainsaw operators and illegal miners, which he said continued to undermine efforts to restore and protect the forest reserve.
He appealed for incentives to be provided to farmers to encourage them to protect and nurture the planted trees to maturity.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Mildred Siabi-Mensah