The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor has reiterated the government’s commitment to preserve and protect the nation’s forest cover.
He stated that the Ministry of Lands has embarked on an aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme, through initiatives such as the Green Ghana Project, the Forest Plantation Strategy, the Youth in Afforestation Programme, the Youth in Plantation Establishment as an Occupation Programme, the Ghana REDD+ Strategy and the Forest Investment Programme.
He made the statement during a press briefing on the state of the nation’s forest reserves in Accra on Tuesday.
Mr Jinapor asserted that the government through these initiatives is increasing the country’s forest estate whilst protecting existing ones.
“For example, under the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, a total of 547,891.70 hectares of degraded forest lands were cultivated between 2017 and 2021 far more than the 157,300 hectares of forest cultivated between 1963 and 2016, a whopping period of 53 years,” he emphasized.
He described the country’s forest degradation as a historical challenge, which requires a concerted and determined effort.
The Minister urged Ghanaians to support the government to protect and preserve the nation’s forest reserves.
“I call on you, nationals and residents of our country, to support the government in this quest, for, respectfully, after all, the responsibility to protect our forest resources whilst at the same time, taking measures to add on, is a national, non-partisan and a truly collective one. We need to and will, work together, with a sense of determination to enable us to achieve the desired results,” he said.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
