NGO launches programme on environment

Ghana’s REDD+ programme has been commended for attaining some achievements since its inception in September.

Professor Mrs Esi Awuah, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), made the commendation during a durbar organized by the National REDD+ Secretariat under the auspices of Forestry Commission (FC).

The programme on the theme “Reducing forest loss and climate change impacts through REDD+; our collective responsibility”, and attended by chiefs, pupils, students, opinion leaders and the general public was a climax of the second leg of a three-day National REDD+ Road Show, the first leg of which was held at Damongo in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region.

The purpose “is to sell REDD+ to the Ghanaian populace, drawing attention to unsustainable land-use practices leading to deforestation and forest degradation, and their negative impacts including global warming and loss of livelihood opportunities”.

It was also “intended to galvanize public support for actions and measures targeted at addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana”

“REDD+ is an acronym for “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.

The Plus sign represents activities that offer co-benefits such as biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management and carbon stocks enhancement”.

After its launch in Accra on September 19, 2014 during a Media interaction, the next venue of the National REDD+ Road Show event would be Tarkwa in the Western Region.

It would then be held at Hohoe in the Volta Region before its national climax with National REDD+ Forum at the National Theatre on Friday November 7, 2014 in Accra.

Prof. Mrs Awuah mentioned some of the achievements as the “set up of a National REDD+ institutional framework, built capacity of stakeholders in REDD+ process and explored the benefit sharing and grievance redress mechanisms”.

She said these achievements and many more could not have been without he collective efforts of the diverse stakeholders of the forestry sector and beyond.

Prof. Mrs Awuah said “since climate change has no boundary and is no respecter of persons”, it was therefore the collective responsibility of all Ghanaians to continue supporting the FC in championing the national REDD+ Strategies to be able to realize the full financial and other benefits of REDD+.

The UENR VC accordingly suggested among others that the National REDD+ Secretariat should endeavour to ensure fostering active participation of stakeholders, especially at grass root through institutionalizing forestry education and extension units at the District levels to continuously create awareness on REDD+ process and other forest management initiatives.

Mr Gordon Asubonteng, Dormaa Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) earlier lauded the FC and the National REDD + Secretariat for organizing the National REDD+ Road Show Event and pledged the support of the Assembly for the realization of its objectives in the Municipality.

Mr Asubonteng said as a complementary role to augment the effort of the of the FC and the National REDD+ Secretariat, the Assembly would institute an annual award scheme to be awarded to first and second cycle schools in the Municipality that would be promoting green environment as well as ensuring good and proper sanitation practices.

The MCE urged the youth in the Municipality to avoid engaging in ‘galamsey’ operations and consequently stressed the Assembly in collaboration with the Dormaa Traditional Council would not allow the operation of the ‘galamsey’ menace in the Municipality and the Traditional Area at large.