The spirit of tree planting and afforestation must be rekindled among Ghanaians to help combat the growing effects of climate change, Dr Owusu Fordjour Aidoo, an environmental researcher and expert, has said.
He said trees played a critical role in protecting the environment and called for renewed efforts to encourage individuals and communities to plant and protect trees.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Kumasi, Dr Aidoo noted that the continuous loss of forest cover through illegal mining, logging, bushfires and other human activities was contributing to environmental degradation and worsening the effects of climate change.
He explained that trees absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and released oxygen, making forests an important natural solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to see tree planting not only as a government responsibility but also as a collective duty requiring the participation of all.
He said schools, churches, traditional authorities, businesses, civil society organisations and community groups could all contribute significantly to the country’s afforestation efforts.
Dr Aidoo observed that the spirit of tree planting had declined and must be rekindled to save the environment.
He called for stronger measures to protect newly planted trees, noting that planting trees without ensuring their survival would not achieve the desired environmental benefits.
According to him, regular watering, proper maintenance and protection from bushfires, animals and human activities were necessary to ensure that young trees grew into mature forests.
He added that planting trees along the banks of rivers and other water bodies was also crucial to protecting birds and aquatic animals.
Dr Aidoo stressed the need to protect existing forests, which served as important habitats for wildlife and helped maintain ecological balance.
He said forests also helped protect water bodies, reduce soil erosion and improve the quality of the environment, thereby supporting agriculture and the livelihoods of many communities.
He noted that climate change was already affecting communities through rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, floods, droughts and other extreme weather conditions.
“We need more trees to keep us alive and healthy and for our future generations,” he said.
Dr Aidoo, who is also a lecturer at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), said Ghana needed to intensify its afforestation and reforestation programmes as part of broader national efforts to build resilience against climate change.
He encouraged the youth to take an active interest in environmental protection, saying they would inherit the consequences of today’s environmental decisions.
He called on traditional and religious leaders to use their platforms to educate their followers on the importance of protecting trees and avoiding activities that destroyed the environment.
Dr Aidoo also urged government agencies and other stakeholders to strengthen public education and enforcement of environmental laws to discourage indiscriminate tree cutting and forest destruction.
He urged Ghanaians to make tree planting a continuous national practice rather than an activity undertaken only during special environmental campaigns.
By Dorothy Frances Ward, GNA