Source: newsthemegh.com
Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, claims that the Ministry and the Forestry Commission have put in place sufficient safeguards to safeguard the nation’s forest asset while trying to expand it.
This information was provided during a press briefing to offer an update on the condition of Ghana’s forest reserves, which was conducted at the Ministry of Information.
Ghana’s estimated total area of forest is 6.6 million hectares, of which 1.2 million hectares are closed forest and 5.4 million hectares are open forest. These, however, are now primarily threatened by illegal activities like mining and logging.
The Minister stated that the fight against deforestation and forest degradation is a process rather than an event during a speech on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. According to him, deforestation and forest degradation are not new problems for the nation, which has lost over 80% of its forest since 1900.
According to Mr. Jinapor, the rate of deforestation reached its high in 2014, when more than 35,000 acres (acres) of forest were lost.
However, he gave the assurance that the government has implemented sufficient measures to stop the threat. What matters, according to the Minister, is the dedication to safeguarding and preserving these treasures, which we are totally committed to doing.
The Green Ghana Project, the Forest Plantation Strategy, the Youth in Afforestation Program, the Youth in Plantation Establishment as an Occupation Program, and other programs aim to increase the forest estate of the nation. He mentioned initiatives like the suspension of exploration in Forest Reserves, the ban on the harvesting of Rosewood, and the issuance of CITES permits as some of the measures being implemented protect the existing forests.
Mr. Jinapor stated that the National Security Coordinating Committee, which is headed by Hon. Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of National Security, has been instructed by Cabinet to collaborate with the Forestry Commission to identify and expel any individuals engaged in unlawful activities in forest reserves.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey, stated in his presentation on the condition of the country’s forests that the main causes of deforestation and forest degradation are agricultural expansion, illegal logging, illegal mining, wildfires, overgrazing, and infrastructure development.
He named some of the Reserves most affected by the actions of illicit miners and loggers, including the Apamprama, Oda River, and Subin Shelterbelt Forest Reserves.
The Chief Executive Officer claimed that the Forestry Commission has taken a number of law enforcement measures to control the situation, including training 964 Field Officers, purchasing 1000 pump action guns, establishing Rapid Response Teams, and training Forest Managers to prosecute forest offenses.
According to him, these actions have resulted in the seizure and demobilization of a variety of equipment, including excavators and chainsaw machines, in Forest Reserves.
He claimed that in order to guarantee that only wood obtained legally is permitted on the market, the Commission is also deploying technology to track lumber from the forest to its eventual disposal.
Regarding steps taken to expand the nation’s forest estate, Mr. Allotey stated that between 2017 and 2022, 690,436 hectares of forest were planted under the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy alone.
According to him, the Commission has stepped up its efforts to restore degraded forests under the Forest Investment Programme and the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP).
He urged all parties to support the Commission in defending the nation’s forest reserves, including traditional leaders and civil society groups.