The Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organization (ADDRO) marked this year’s World Environment Day in the Sherigu community of the Bolgatanga Municipality with a passionate call to end plastic pollution and preserve the environment, especially against growing threats like illegal mining and deforestation.
The event, held at the Sherigu Community Day Senior High School under the theme “Ending Plastic Pollution,” brought together community members, students, farmers, government officials, and development partners for dialogue and action on environmental protection.
Vitalis Agana Atambila, Program Coordinator for ADDRO’s Northern Ghana Climate Resilience Program, stressed the urgent need for communities to reflect on their environmental practices and adopt more sustainable habits. He said Sherigu was chosen for the celebration not only because it is an operational area for ADDRO, but also due to concerning developments such as the emergence of illegal mining, which he described as a growing threat.
“We are seeing young men and even women turning to illegal mining activities in Sherigu, destroying the land and creating serious health hazards,” Mr. Atambila warned. “This is a forested area that has long sustained livelihoods, but what was once a rich, thick forest is now reduced to a few surviving trees. We must protect what is left before it’s too late.”
He added that plastic pollution was compounding the environmental crisis. “From clogged gutters to animals dying after ingesting plastic, the problem is not abstract. It is affecting real people, here and now,” he said.
Highlighting ADDRO’s work, Mr. Agana noted that the organization supports communities through various livelihood empowerment programs including sustainable agriculture, savings groups, skills training, and support for vulnerable populations such as women and the disabled. He emphasized that environmental sustainability must go hand-in-hand with economic empowerment.
Godfred Yao Agbenyeke, Assistant Programme Officer at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lamented the alarming scale of plastic waste in Ghana, estimating that 60% of daily waste is plastic, most of which ends up in drains, rivers, and farmlands. He called for stronger enforcement of waste management laws and advocated a ban on single-use plastics as has been done in Rwanda and Kenya.
“Our drains are choked. Our animals are eating plastic. We are ingesting microplastics through our food. It’s time for collective action,” Mr. Agbenyeke said.
Bolgatanga Municipal Director of Agriculture, Lantana Osman, gave a sobering perspective on how plastic pollution and environmental degradation were affecting food security in the municipality. She noted that nearly 50% of Bolgatanga’s agricultural lands are located in the Sherigu area, with 20% already degraded.
“Plastic sheets buried in the soil prevent fertilizers from reaching plant roots, affecting yields and threatening household food security,” she warned. Madam Lantana also criticized deforestation driven by firewood harvesting and illegal mining, urging the community to return to environmentally conscious practices, including the use of traditional baskets instead of plastic bags.
She revealed that animals were increasingly dying after ingesting plastic, which ends up in their digestive systems. “We’re losing goats and cattle to plastic waste. And the same plastic that kills our animals pollutes our food and water,” she added.
The celebration began with a vibrant procession through the Sherigu Health Center and culminated in a symbolic tree planting exercise. ADDRO distributed tree seedlings to community members with a call to protect and nurture them as part of a broader environmental restoration effort.
World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 to raise global awareness and prompt action on pressing environmental issues.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mh|Joshua Asaah|Sherigu
