Kumasi, June 12, GNA – Tropenbos Ghana has raised a red flag about the government’s attempt to declassify some portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve, describing the action as a dent on efforts to conserve and restore Ghana’s forest cover.
It says the development is worrying considering the fast rate at which Ghana is losing its forest and tree cover.
These were contained in a statement signed by Mr Boakye Twumasi Ankra and Mr Daniel Kofi Abu, Project Managers at Tropenbos Ghana and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi.
The statement which was in response to Executive Instrument 144, Forests (Cessation of Forest Reserve) Instrument, 2022 declassifying some portions of the Achimota Forest by the government, said the move was an affront to the Green Ghana Initiative launch by the government last year.
It, therefore, urged the government to rescind its decision on declassifying portions of the Achimota by revoking the E.I. 144, and also rethink similar thoughts on other forest reserves to demonstrate commitment towards conservation and restoration.
“The government should also audit the current state of all forest reserves in Ghana with a master plan on how to restore degraded ones, design and implement a deliberate programme for monitoring and reporting forest and tree cover increases resulting from the Green Ghana agenda,” part of the statement read.
The statement further urged the government to fast-track tree tenure reforms, including tree registration to secure farmers’ ownership of planted and/or nurtured trees, and enhance forest law enforcement to curtail factors including illegal mining, farm encroachment into forest lands, illegal logging, that depletes forest and tree resources.
“We cannot be seen to be championing a Green Ghana Agenda and other restoration efforts while declassifying large portions of already existing forests, particularly for private gains”, it observed.
Tropenbos Ghana is of the view that the Government of Ghana could follow good examples of Rwanda where significant attempts are being made to reverse its forest depleting trend.
GNA