The Member of Parliament for Zebilla Constituency, Ebenezer Alumire Ndebilla, has called for urgent adoption of agroforestry and sustainable farming practices as effective strategies to address the growing threat of land degradation in northern Ghana.
Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament in commemoration of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (June 17, 2025), Mr. Ndebilla emphasized the need for practical and collaborative responses to safeguard the environment and secure the livelihoods of vulnerable communities.
The MP described the northern savannah ecological zone—including Zebilla and other parts of the Upper East, Upper West, North East, Northern, and Savannah Regions—as severely affected by climate change and unsustainable land use. Rising temperatures, declining soil fertility, shrinking water bodies, and recurring bushfires, he said, are contributing to poor crop yields, food insecurity, youth migration, and worsening poverty.
To address these challenges, Mr. Ndebilla highlighted the importance of the “Trees for Life” initiative, launched under the leadership of former President John Dramani Mahama. The programme, he explained, was a grassroots-driven national strategy that mobilized communities, schools, churches, and local assemblies to plant millions of economic and indigenous trees in degraded areas.
“What made ‘Trees for Life’ so impactful,” he noted, “was its integration with local livelihoods. By encouraging the planting of shea, mango, dawadawa, and cashew trees, it merged environmental restoration with income generation.”
He added that the programme also created jobs for thousands of young people through the Youth Employment Agency and the Forestry Commission, empowering them with skills in forest regeneration and climate resilience.
However, Mr. Ndebilla warned that illegal logging, deforestation, charcoal production, and rampant bushfires are reversing gains made under afforestation initiatives. He also pointed to erratic rainfall patterns that are threatening traditional farming and destabilizing the ecosystem.
“We owe it to the farmers of Zebilla, the schoolchildren in Chereponi, and the shea collectors in Tumu to protect the land that sustains us,” he stated.
This year’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, celebrated under the theme “Restore the Land, Unlock the Opportunities”, calls attention to land restoration as a critical step toward securing food systems, environmental health, and sustainable livelihoods.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga
