The Forum for Natural Regeneration (FONAR) has called on political parties in the Upper East Region to incorporate Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) into their manifestos, recognizing its potential to restore degraded lands, improve livelihoods, and address climate change.
As Ghana prepares for the December 2024 General Elections, political parties are expected to refresh their manifestos, outlining both their strategic policy direction and prospective programs on various critical national issues when elected to office. Hence, the need to engage the main political parties to solicit their commitment to promoting and scaling up FMNR as a good restoration practice in the region and country as a whole.
FONAR’s Executive Director, Sumaila Seidu Saaka, said FMNR has proven to be a cost-effective and sustainable approach to reforestation, unlike the traditional tree-planting method. He emphasized that FMNR can enhance food security, protect soil, and promote biodiversity, making it a vital strategy for the region’s development.
Speaking during an engagement with political parties as part of this year’s World Environment Day under the theme “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience,” the Executive Director, Mr. Saaka, underscored the importance of the engagement, noting the significance of tree planting, hence the difficulty in managing it.
“We are in an election season, and political parties are trying to frame up their manifestos, and we think it is important for us to engage political parties to include FMNR in their traditional manifestos when it comes to environmental restoration. The focus is also on tree planting, but tree planting is always difficult in northern Ghana because of the weather conditions. So we think that when we regenerate what is in existence, they are things that we can manage. They are adapted to the environment, and if we manage them well, they can grow very well.”
FONAR, in collaboration with World Vision Ghana, has successfully implemented FMNR projects in the region, restoring over 4,000 hectares of degraded farmlands and improving the livelihoods of numerous communities.
The NDC’s Upper East Regional Secretary, Donatus Akamugri, while speaking to the media on behalf of the NDC, embraced the call and stated the importance of including FMNR in their manifestos, describing it as crucial for a sustainable environment in the region.
The forum to engage the political parties on the FMNR adoption on the World Environment Day celebration was supported by AWAKEN TREES.
As Ghana strives to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on climate change adaptation and mitigation, adopting FMNR in the Upper East Region can contribute significantly to the country’s environmental and socio-economic objectives.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|David Azure|Bolgatanga|
