Population explosion and the concomitant demand for land for farming activities is seriously causing land degradation in the northern regions. To rub salt into injury, the savannah vegetation is also being threatened by the Sahara desert, which is fast spreading to West Africa, with Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso already bearing the brunt of it.
This development, no doubt, is a serious threat to the environment in the five northern regions. Regrettably, because of poverty and the struggle to eke out an existence, trees in these regions are being cut down with careless abandon for commercial purposes. What readily comes to mind here is charcoal. Day in and out, hundreds, if not thousands, of bags of charcoal are transported from these regions to the south for sale for domestic and commercial use.
The latest craze is the cutting down of rosewood for export. Though there have been several protests and warnings against the practice of cutting down rosewood, those behind it are still adamant. The people have apparently not been educated enough to understand the effects of their actions on the environment. Apart from food scarcity that will be staring at them because there are no more lands rich with nutrients for food production, the possibility of persistent heat waves in the area cannot also be ruled out.
In fact, in the 1980s, the then Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military government realised the effect of cutting down trees for charcoal was having on the environment, and, therefore, decided to introduce gas for domestic energy. In our estimation, the chunk of our urban dwellers are today using gas instead of charcoal. But there are others who are still using charcoal for cooking and this is promoting or encouraging the cutting down of the trees.
Certainly, something urgent must be done about this, and that is why we commend the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs for publicly banning the cutting down of trees for charcoal production and rosewoods for export.
Addressing a news conference recently, the House of Chiefs made it clear that illegal logging, commercial charcoal burning, commercial fuel wood harvesting, and illegal small scale mining activities in the Savannah Region, effective 10th May, 2021, has been banned.
According to them, “any carriage of charcoal, logs, and fuel wood in commercial quantities after the 10th of May, 2021 out of the Savannah Region will attract penalties. Every bag of charcoal will attract GH¢5.00 penalty charge per bag. A container of logs will attract a GH¢5,000.00 penalty charge. The vehicle carrying the products will also attract GH¢1,000.00 penalty charge.
“The ban on illegal logging, commercial charcoal burning, commercial fuel wood harvesting, and illegal small scale mining activities will completely come to a close on 30th May 2021 in the Savannah Region. After 30th of May, 2021, any carriage of goods of such products shall be confiscated and offloaded at a defined dumping ground. The confiscated items shall be taken by the committee of the Savannah Region House of Chiefs, headed by Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso I, with effect from 30th May 2021. All exit points in the Savannah Region after 30th May 2021 shall effectively be blocked.”
Though the action that has been taken by our respected chiefs is going to render some people jobless, it is a bitter pill these people have to swallow in the collective interest of Mother Ghana. The rapid degradation of the environment is worrying, and the time to stop it is now!
The post Editorial: Savannah Regional House of Chiefs deserves applause appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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