The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih has urged the general public to protect and preserve the environment by stopping the rampant felling of trees.
He observed that the rampant logging of trees for commercial charcoal production and lumber had led to the adverse climatic condition currently experienced in the country.
He said this in a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the World Environment Day (WED) commemoration in Wa at the weekend, organized by the Regional Parks and Gardens on the theme: “Ecosystem Restoration”.
The Regional Minister reminded the people of the ban on rosewood harvesting and exporting, and appealed to traditional authorities to support the government in its restoration agenda through the tree planting project by planting and nurturing trees.
Dr. Salih indicated that the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry had embarked on an agenda to plant five million trees on the Green Ghana Day while the Parks and Gardens is also to plant one million trees in two years, and was hopeful that these trees will grow to restore the vegetative cove.
Mr Peter Maala, the Regional Coordinating Director, who represented the Regional Minister at the launch, remarked that there was the need for the Department of Urban Roads to collaborate with the P&G to plant ornamental plants along principal streets in Wa to make it befit the status of a regional capital.
The Upper West Regional Department of Parks and Gardens is to plant and nurture one thousand trees in two years under the grand agenda of the Parks and Gardens to plant one million trees nationwide in two years.