World Vision Ghana (WVG) and Vision Fund, together with Akayet Hotel in Bolgatanga, on Friday, June 7th, commemorated the Green Ghana Day with a tree-planting exercise. This effort aligns with the national agenda to promote environmental sustainability and combat climate change through reforestation.
Francis Gumah, the Northern Regional Operations Manager of WVG, said the commemoration of the Green Ghana Day is in line with World Vision Ghana’s initiative known as Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), which ensures indigenous trees grow on their own through the pruning of their shrubs.
He mentioned that the partnership with Akayet Hotel underscores the hotel’s commitment to environmental protection. Mr. Gumah added that the importance of such collaborative efforts enhances the green cover of the savannah landscape and fosters a culture of environmental responsibility.
“Our partnership with Akayet Hotel is because they have also seen the need for us to ensure that trees are planted, especially in the Upper East, Upper West, and Northern parts of Ghana, because we all know the benefits of trees,” he stated. While encouraging the public to plant trees at the household level to contribute to this effort, Mr. Gumah admonished the government to enforce the laws that deter people from destroying the environment to avert climate change and its impact.
Joseph Edwin Yelkabong, the European Union-funded ‘Landscapes and Environmental Agility Across the Nation’ (LEAN) Project Manager with World Vision Ghana, noted that the collaboration signals the NGO community’s ability to work effectively with the private sector in regenerating the depleted savannah landscape. According to Mr. Yelkabong, the LEAN project, for the past 3 years, has planted over 120,000 tree seedlings across the savannah landscape, from Damango to the Kassena-Nankana West districts, and has regenerated 411 hectares through the FMNR initiative.
“For this year, we have raised about 40,000 seedlings, and as I speak, most of the seedlings are leaving the nurseries in Damango and Kassena-Nankana West districts. We have established 8 nurseries across the 2 districts, and we are supplying these seedlings to institutions, individuals, schools, etc., for free to grow,” he explained.
To ensure there is value for money in achieving the purpose of regreening the environment, the LEAN Project Manager indicated that all trees planted are monitored by picking their coordinates while their heights are measured. Bukari Leticia, Front Desk Supervisor at Akayet Hotel, praised World Vision Ghana for their partnership, which she said underscores the hotel’s dedication to environmental sustainability.
Green Ghana Day, an annual event initiated by the government, aims to mobilize citizens across the country to plant trees and promote environmental sustainability. This year’s theme, “Planting for Our Future,” underscores the long-term benefits of reforestation and the collective effort required to achieve significant environmental milestones.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
