As part of activities to mark this year’s Green Ghana Day, the SDG Advisory Unit of the President of the Republic of Ghana, has led the planting of 1600 mahogany trees at Shai Hills in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region.
The exercise which was organized in partnership with the J. A. Kufuor Foundation, Bank of Africa, Ghana Shippers Authority and the National Cathedral Secretariat and attended by over 60 volunteer students from tertiary institutions across the country, was intended to sensitize Ghanaian youth to take part in the global conversation on climate change
Speaking to Citinewsroom, the Special Advisor to the President on SDG, Dr. Eugene Owusu, said the Government of Ghana has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable development by making SDGs a driving factor in the nation’s overall development plan.
He said plans are underway to include the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals into local development plans in line with SDGs 13 and 15, to combat climate change and protect the environment from pollution.
He urged Ghanaians to inculcate the habit of tree planting as a way of mitigating against global warming and environmental degradation.
The Director for Stakeholder Engagement and Ecotourism at the Forestry Commission, Richard Gyimah, explained that Green Ghana Day was instituted by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to educate the public to be environmentally responsible in a bid to stem the tide of climate change.
As part of this year’s activities, he said the Forestry Commission will support the planting of 5 million trees nationwide to ameliorate global warming.
The Park Manager for Shai Hills Resource Reserve, Prince Anane Agyei, lauded the initiative and reiterated the call by the Government of Ghana for all citizens to support the Green Ghana Day agenda to help decrease the rate of deforestation.
The 51 square-kilometre Shai Hills Resource Reserve is one of the protected areas managed by the Forestry Commission of Ghana.
The area is covered with grassland and low dry forest vegetation and home to approximately 400 plant species and several animal species including antelopes, bats, birds (such as violet turaco, paradise flycatcher, green turaco Red-billed Hornbill, yellow-fronted tinkerbird, and red-necked buzzard), baboons, cats, duiker, guinea fowls, kobs, green monkeys, monitor lizards, African python, royal python, and zebras.
Established in 1962, the Shai Hills Resource Reserve, is one of Ghana’s most prominent ecotourism destinations, attracting approximately 30,000 visitors annually.
