The chief of Banda Boase in the Bono region, Nana Ligbi Wullitei II, is pushing for the adoption of traditional methods of environmental conservation to save Ghana’s forest reserves and rivers.
He observed that the various traditional authorities previously prohibited members of their communities from farming, entering or undertaking any activity in and around the forest reserves.
“This, we formally did through the institution of taboos among other methods, where communities did not get close to the forest reserves and even the water bodies to destroy them, and it helped to conserve the country’s forests,” Nana Wullitei added.
He said that although tree planting and other afforestation methods are to lessen the effects of the fast depletion of the various forest reserves, the reintroduction of traditional methods must also be considered.
He stated that the current visible effects of climate change demand the combination of both traditional and modern methods to conserve Ghana’s forest reserves.
“If we continue to implement only the contemporary methods of conserving the forest reserves and the rivers, thinking we can achieve the desired results, then we might be chasing pebbles in the air,” the chief of Banda Boase explained.
He commended civil society groups such as Activista Ghana of ActionAid Ghana for their efforts to assist some communities in the Tain, Banda and other districts across the Bono region in planting trees to conserve the environment.
He expressed the readiness of traditional rulers to collaborate with environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and Civil Society Organisations operating in the various areas to help halt the indiscriminate destruction of the rivers and forest reserves.
Nana Wullitei said, “It is unfortunate that many tree seedlings, which have already been planted over the years, have been left to die due to poor maintenance culture, calling for measures to sustain efforts to maintain the country’s forest reserves”.
He said communities needed timely intervention from environmental organisations since forest reserves and rivers across Ghana are being destroyed through illegal mining and other economic activities.
“As traditional leaders, we will be glad and ready to help the government to recapture our fast-depleting forest reserves.
Together, we will plant trees, nurture them and use climate-smart agriculture to recapture the forest,” he stated.
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