The Akwamumanhene, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, has launched a vigorous campaign to restore the natural environment in his kingdom.
The OKA Million Tree Campaign, outdoored on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the forecourt of the Bojawe Palace at Akwamufie in the Eastern Region, is targeted at planting at least a million trees in the next couple of months.
This initiative which is in collaboration with PRAXIS Africa, is supported by some corporate institutions such as the Volta River Authority (VRA), Asuogyaman Company Limited, Ohemea Afrakoma II Foundation, Forestry Commission, Bogyawe Media, Vim FM and others.
In attendance to support the OKA Million Tree Campaign, was Miss Earth Ghana 2023, Priscilla Ama Asante.
The Paramount Chief of the Akwamu Traditional Area in his address noted the importance of trees in the cycle of life and called on all to support the campaign, which also coincides with the global environment day as well as the Green Ghana Day.
“Trees form a central part of the cycle of life, thus our environment which consists of forests, farmlands, savannahs, peatlands, and mountains provides humanity with essential resources like food, water, and raw materials,” he stated.
He counselled: “As we pursue the cause of developing our country, businesses and our individual lives, we should be mindful of our actions and the negative effects it has on the environment.”
Research shows that drought and rising temperatures are threatening the lives of more than 3 billion people. Furthermore, over 2 billion hectares of the world’s land are degraded endangering the ecosystems of several plants and wildlife.
In light of the above, the United Nations is targeting to resort over 350 million hectares of degraded landscapes globally by 2030. This has the potential of removing 13-26 gigatons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
To create resilience and combat land degradation, the United Nations has identified seven (7) sustainable ways to restore blighted landscapes and the environment;
1. Make Agriculture Sustainable.
2. Save the Soil
3. Protect the Pollinators
4. Restore Freshwater ecosystems.
5. Renew Coastal marine areas
6. Bring nature back to cities
7. Generate financing for restoration.
It is, therefore, the hope of the Akwamuhene that, Ghanaians will “support the United Nations in this direction by planting trees and ensuring that these trees grow to sustain lives here on Earth.”
