Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has urged aspiring political parties and public servants participating in the upcoming 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections to demonstrate active prioritization and commitment to a green and thriving development paradigm for the citizens of Ghana.
The Ghana Environment Manifesto 2024, launched by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other non-state actors within the Natural Resources and Environment sector, addresses a wide range of environmental and developmental issues in Ghana.
This manifesto is a comprehensive document that covers various sectors including the Land Sector, Forestry Sector, Forest, Biodiversity and Agriculture Sector, Oil, Gas and Energy Sector, Environment and Climate Change Sector, Mining Sector, Wash Sector, Marine Environment, and Fisheries Sector. It was developed through extensive engagement with Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) across these sectors, reflecting the needs and aspirations of Ghanaians across the country.
“Community rights have come under serious attack from state-backed business interests, with a seemingly or deliberate weakening of enforcement and compliance measures like never before. The current situation envisions a bleak future, indicating a failure in both policy and political agendas to effectively address these pressing environmental issues. We cannot sustain a prosperous future if these developments are not addressed with the urgency they deserve.”
Daryl Bosu, Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana
The manifesto highlighted significant environmental challenges faced by Ghana, such as poorly regulated mining activities, encroachment into forest reserves, and the conversion of key ecological sites. It also addressed the impact of state policies and corporate interests on community rights and the environment.
The document emphasized the urgency of addressing these issues to ensure a prosperous future for Ghana, with a focus on improving economic outcomes in sectors like agriculture, agro-based industries, forestry, and fisheries, while also enhancing environmental quality.
The manifesto called for political commitment and implementation to galvanize citizen support and attract global investment and intervention in key sectors. It outlines specific commitments and actions across various sectors, including equitable access to land rights, reprioritization of petroleum revenue for a green economy, full implementation of the buffer zone policy in the Wash Sector, and the adoption of a national Cap and Trade levy system in the Environment and Climate Change Sector. It also demands the review of existing legislation in the Marine Environment and Fisheries Sector to combat illegal fishing and promote sustainability.
In the Forest, Biodiversity, and Agriculture Sector, the manifesto advocates for secured food sovereignty, empowerment of local communities to tackle illegal mining, and the development of Achimota Forest into a thriving urban forest. In the Mining Sector, it calls for the review of the Minerals and Mining Act to institutionalize a Public Interest and Accountability Committee for Mineral Governance.
Environmental and Green Pathways
On his part, the National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Dr Seth Appiah-Kubi called on political parties to prioritise environmental and green pathways as part of their potential future government’s development agenda.
“We are looking at a future where the nations who have hedged against the devastating effects of climate change through adequate adaptation measures and water security investments will be the ones whose populations have a secured well-being.”
Dr Seth Appiah-Kubi, National Director of A Rocha Ghana
The Programmes Coordinator of Economic Policy Competence Centre, Ms Eunice Asiedu commended A Rocha Ghana and other environmental Civil Society Organisations for putting together an environmental manifesto describing it as progressive, hence their support of the process.
“Given the critical role the environment plays in our continuous survival, I urge the political parties to urgently center environmental sustainability at the center of their development agenda and we look forward to yet another political season with the environment at the center of campaigns and subsequent conscious effort toward its implementation.”
Ms Eunice Asiedu, Programmes Coordinator of Economic Policy Competence Centre
The launch of the manifesto was attended by representatives from political parties, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP), who pledged to adopt the environment manifesto in their parties’ manifestoes and to implement all the recommendations if allowed to govern after the December 7, 2024 general elections.
The manifesto represents a significant step towards addressing the pressing environmental issues in Ghana and aligning the country’s development agenda with global urgencies to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution. It underscores the critical role of environmental sustainability in ensuring the well-being of Ghana’s population and the continuous survival of the nation.
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