Gov’t urged to adopt ecovillages to promote sustainable lifestyles

Mr Lovans Owusu-Takyi, the Secretary to the Executive Board of the Ghana Ecovillage Network (GEN), a non-profit making association has called on the government and the people to adopt ecovillage principles to ensure sustainable development.

He said the principles of ecovillage are an integral part for the care of the earth, the people and the building capacity for a sustainable future.

Mr Owusu-Takyi made the call at the launch of a two-day conference to promote the concept of ecovillages as models for climate change adaptation and sustainable development held at the premises of the Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA) at Domeabea.

The conference was under the auspices of the Danish Civil Society Network in partnership with the Danish Association of Ecovillages.

Mr Owusu-Takyi, who is also the Programmes Coordinator at KITA, said the world is saddled with global challenges which are affecting the lives of the people including Ghana.

He mentioned the challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, energy insecurity, pollution of water bodies, improper waste management and disposal, deforestation and loss of biodiversity, increased poverty, inequality and conflicts.

He said ecovillages provide sustainable solutions to these challenges to enhance sustainable lifestyles in communities.

Mr Owusu-Takyi indicated that ecovillages are human scale settlements consciously developed through local participatory processes to secure long term sustainability encompassing four dimensional concepts such as economic, socio-cultural, ecological and spiritual development of local communities working towards self-reliance.

Mr Paul Yeboah, the Vice President of the GEN and the Director of Ghana Permaculture Institute based in Techiman in the Brong- Ahafo Region said ecovillage movements have come to stay and called on all Ghanaians to make the initiative sustainable.

Nana Opoku Agyemang, the Gyaasehene of Domeabra in the Ejisu-Juaben District in the Ashanti Region, expressed gratitude to the leadership of KITA for bringing the ecovillage concept in the community.

He said he and his chieftaincy would work together to support in the transitioning of the Domeabra community into an ecovillage and urged the GEN to make the dream become a reality.

The GEN has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and a partner to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.