Youth urged to participate in environmental restoration efforts

By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah, GNA

Sakora Wonoo (Ash), June 27, GNA – Mr John Peter Amewu, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, has urged the youth to take strong interest and actively participate in the ongoing environmental restoration exercise being pursued by the government.

“This was the only way to ensure a clean environment and secured future for yourselves and your children,” he said.

Speaking at the launch of the seventh Forestry Week and Greening Ghana Day at Sakora Wonoo in the Kwabre East Municipality, Mr Amewu also called on traditional rulers to play a key role to complement government’s effort at reversing environmental degradation in the Country.

The launching, which was to commemorate the International Day of Forests was on the theme, “Maintaining a Balance between Urbanization and Forest Conservation”.

Mr Amewu said increasing demand for land for industrial, commercial and residential purposes coupled with illegal mining and forest operations, had led to unbridled degradation of the forest and other natural resources.

He said even though it was important to develop as a country, it was also vital to maintain a balance between urbanization and forest conservation.

The Minister said the Government was making significant progress in reversing forest and other environmental degradation through various initiatives.

Among these were the ban on small-scale mining and the current onslaught on illegal mining activities, massive tree-planting programmes across the country, as well as promoting ecosystem and biodiversity.

Mr Amewu said Ghanaians had a collective responsibility to protect the forest to secure the country’s future.

Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, said the forest played an important role in promoting the good health of the people.

It was important for all to support the greening Ghana project to restore degraded landscape and maintain environmental balance at all times.

Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission (FC), said the Commission had recruited about 15,000 youth to plant trees across the country as part of the greening Ghana project.

He spoke against sand wining, which was fast degrading the forest in the Kwabre East and called on the chiefs and people to put a halt to that.

GNA

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