Deforestation continues to hurt the environment -Speaker

ing informal small-scale gold mining and uncontrolled tree felling without the commensurate reforestation e orts.

By Eugene Davis

ed in order to ensure that the objectives of the exercise are attained.

The Speaker of Parlia ment, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has bemoaned activities of deforestation which has taken its toll on the country’s forest cover and asked stakeholders, including the rank and le to rethink their attitude towards the environment.

Ghana has witnessed a signi cant decline in forest cover over the years. Once blessed with a vast expanse of thriving rainforests, the country now ranks among the tropical nations with the highest percentage of deforestation.

According to Mr. Bagbin, alarming statistics speak for themselves: from a staggering 8.2 million hectares in 1900, our forest cover has dwindled to a mere 1.6 million hectares. This distressing trend highlights the environmental degradation caused by various factors, includ-

In an address to mark this year’s Tree Planting Exercise at Parliament House, he said “The goal of halting deforestation and restoring our forests, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, will be unattainable if we persist in our current attitude toward the forest cover, we have. This is precisely why initiatives like Green Ghana Day are of paramount importance in our national agenda.”

He also made an impassioned appeal to Ghanaians who participated in this year’s Green Ghana Day to be custodians of the saplings they plant-

“I encourage all who participated in today's exercise to be the custodians of the saplings they planted. Visit them and nurture them regularly as they grow into majestic symbols of hope, resilience, and sustainable development. Through our collective e orts, we can ensure that Ghana achieves the purpose of the Green Ghana Day exercise, and secure a greener and brighter future for generations to come.”

To him, the theme for this year's Green Ghana Day, "Our Forests, Our Health," underscores how critical it is to preserve the forests and vegetation for the well-being of humanity. In the previous Green Ghana Day event, parliament planted 400 trees. For this year, it plans to add 300 more trees, bringing the total to 700.

On the existence of the previous trees planted, “I have been informed that about 80 percent of the trees planted survived. I believe we can do better by increasing the survival rate.” he noted.

Green Ghana Day, Mr.Bagbin stated symbolizes an investment in the country’s collective future, for which reason he urged all Ghanaians to actively participate in the exercise, “Planting trees is not merely an ecological gesture; it is a profound act of love and responsibility toward our nation and health.”

The Acting Regional Manager, Forestry Com- mission, George Agbenowoshi disclosed that 850,000 di erent species of trees would be planted in the Greater Accra region.

Mr.Ebenezer Ahuma

Djietror, Deputy Clerk at Parliament commended government for the initia- tive and pledged the legislature’s commitment to the move, as well as stressing that