Mr. Alvin Adu-Asare, a Senior Monitoring and Evaluation officer at Rainforest Alliance, ahead of the Green Ghana Project, has cautioned that tree planting does not necessarily mean restoration, hence the need for a systematic approach to monitoring trees planted to achieve the project’s goal.
Mr. Adu-Asare made these assertions in an interview after a stakeholders’ engagement at Wiawso in the Western North Region- calling on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission to adopt methods that would help monitor trees planted and the number that would survive over the period.
“Tree planting does not necessarily mean restoration, so there is the need for a systematic approach to track and monitor trees planted.”
Mr. Alvin Adu-Asare
The stakeholder engagement was to create a hybrid monitoring and evaluation programme that combines remote and on-the-ground data management and reporting at the landscape level and leveraging information and communication technologies to empower communities to own the green Ghana exercise.
He encouraged participants to use the platform with other stakeholders and institutions to achieve the desired results. He appealed to Ghanaians to support this year’s Green Ghana project to restore the forest cover.
Rainforest Alliance praised for empowering farmers
Mr. Louis Agreey, the Wiawso Municipal Assembly Planning Officer, lauded Rainforest Alliance for empowering farmers in the area through alternative livelihood programmes.
He encouraged farmers to carry out more of the alternative livelihood programmes they have been taught to complement cocoa production to reduce poverty in farming communities.
On his part, Mr. Richard Adonu, the Project Lead, Olam Foods, advised farmers to register for more distinctive tree species.
Green Ghana project 2022, gain support of many stakeholders
The leaderships of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) issued a statement asking all pastors and churches to commit to the Green Ghana programme slated for June 10, 2022, seriously.
“Where possible, we encourage all churches to mobilize themselves on June 10, 2022, to embark on this project.”
Christian Council of Ghana
The Atwimahene, Nana Antwi Agyei Brempong II, in a recent interview, also appealed to the government of Ghana to engage more youth, including National Service Personnel (NSS), in the implementation of the Green Ghana Project (GGP) and other afforestation-related initiatives. This, he said, would help the youth own such projects to ensure the sustenance of such noble initiatives.
Also, in showing support for the initiative, the Okyehene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, in an interview, said posterity would not forgive the current generation if adequate measures were not put to safeguard the environment from more destruction.
“It is selfish that we should dig all the gold from the ground and cut down all the trees for parochial gain to deny future generations natural resources and a healthy environment. I am delighted that the government has seen the need to replant, restore and replenish degraded forests. This is good because it is our future, and when we plant 20 million trees, we are planting our future to be free from diseases and climate change.”
Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin
Ahead of the event, some Tree-networks have donated tree seedlings to hospitals and schools for the upcoming project. For instance, Growing Trees Network Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization championing environmental protection, donated a variety of tree seedlings to Prempeh College in the Kwadaso Municipality of the Ashanti Region in a recent interview.
The theme for this year’s exercise is “Mobilizing for a Greener Future”, and it’s scheduled for June 10, 2022.
This year, the Project targets to plant at least 20 million trees of varied species across the country.
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