The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 1st March 2022, launched the 2022 edition of “Green Ghana Day”, with a commitment to planting some twenty million trees this year, as part of Government’s aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme.
Speaking at the event held at the Accra International Conference Centre, President Akufo-Addo stated that even though the target of the maiden edition of Green Ghaana Day, held last year, was some 5 million trees, a total of 7 million trees were planted.
“I am informed that most of these trees are doing very well, and this encourages us to continue with the project, and to do even more. This year, we have raised our target, and we have committed to plant, at least, twenty million (20,000,000) trees. This requires that we mobilise the entire population to ensure that each Ghanaian and each foreigner, that is every resident in Ghana, plants, at least, one tree,” he said.
Describing the country’s forests as “one of the most important natural resources required for our nation’s socio-economic development”, the President noted that regrettably, across the world, the exploitation of forest resources has been very rampant, leading to a substantial decline in the world’s forest cover.
According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), between 1990 and 2020, the world lost some one hundred and seventy-eight million hectares (178,000,000 ha) of forests, almost the size of Libya.
With just eight (8) years to attain the goals set in the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the President stated that “climate change continues to derail our efforts, by impacting the fundamentals required to achieve the goals.”
He continued, “Eradication of poverty, zero hunger, good health, gender equality, clean water, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and production, life on land and life below water are all being negatively impacted by climate change”.
To ensure that everybody participates in the exercise, President Akufo-Addo stated that, based on expert advice, particularly from the Forestry Commission and the Ghana Meteorological Agency, designated, Friday, 10 th June 2022, as the 2022 Edition of Green Ghana Day.
He, thus, encouraged all Ghanaians to go out to plant, and encourage our families and friends to do same.
“On that day, we should all make a commitment to leave a legacy for future generations through the planting of trees. And, on that day, we should all commit to nurture the trees we plant to maturity,” he added.
Citing Article 41(k) of the Constitution of the Republic, he said this imposes a duty on every citizen to protect and safeguard the environment.
“This project is one of the ways of fulfilling this constitutional obligation, and we must all make it a point to participate in this national exercise. This noble venture ought to be funded and executed through our joint efforts, and, as much as possible, without burdening the public treasury. We can do it, and I call on all Ghanaians and residents of Ghana to contribute in diverse ways to this welcome and worthy endeavour,” he added.