KEY POINTS
- Ghana’s reforestation initiatives include the Green Ghana Project and AFR100 commitments.
- Private companies and NGOs play a critical role in tree planting and sustainable land management.
- Strengthening enforcement and fostering international partnerships are essential for success
As is the case with many developing nations, Ghana has had a difficult time controlling deforestation resulting from increasing agriculture production, producer and consumer-driven illegal logging, and the expansion and development of urban areas.
This leads to undesirable consequences in the loss of species, water and passing on the impacts of climate change.
Ghana understands these well, given the following developments, which are part of the reforestation efforts with the objectives of reclaiming degraded landscapes, addressing climate change, and enhancing people’s livelihoods.
Combating deforestation in policy and practice
Ghana’s government has taken an active stance on reforestation through policies and programs that address the root causes of deforestation.
The Forest Plantation Development Fund established in 2002 seeks to promote the re-establishment of land through private and community-based tree growing. Through this fund, the equivalent of thousands of hectares of forest has been regenerated and people have been prompted into proper use and maintenance of their land.
Ghana signed up for the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) in 2019, thus committing to restore two million hectares of degraded landscapes in Ghana by the year 2030.
It carries out this commitment under the Bonn Challenge which calls for more afforestation with an aim of combating climate change, and enhancement of the supply of species diversity.
Some of the well-known reforestation projects
A recent project that aimed at the reforestation of Ghana was launched in 2021 under the name Green Ghana Project. Schools, citizens, and organizations are encouraged to plant millions of trees across the nation through this annual tree-planting campaign.
It has received support across the country and within its first year, over 7 million trees were delivered. These efforts are intended to foster new environmental consciousness among the people of Ghana.
Even in the area of forest restoration and regeneration, a lot has also been achieved by the coming of the private sector in Ghana. Some companies such as Form Ghana are used to rehabilitate the erosion-affected area through sustainable forestry.
Through planting of indigenous and commercial tree species, offers an opportunity for job employment for the community as well as supporting the exercise of developing the forest.
Also, there are NGOs such as A Rocha Ghana that engage the local people to champion the practice of agroforestry and economic activities that are sustainable. By linking tree planting with farming practices, these programs boost soil productivity, production of crops, and food security.
Challenges and opportunities
Although reforestation is currently ongoing in Ghana, there are some challenges faced. Inadequate funding militates against the growth of such projects and sustainability, and attacks from rampant and illegitimate loggers persist even after the rehabilitation of such sites.
Also, equitable consideration of plantation sources with the needs of communities that rely on forest produce is equally challenging.
To overcome these challenges, the following measures should be considered; Firstly, the policing mechanism of reforested areas in Ghana must be improved to protect them from people who would like to destroy them again Second, the strategies to make citizens of Ghana own reforestation projects must be adopted.
International cooperation can also improve the financial and technical cooperation to develop such actions. More community engagement, cooperation, sustainability as well as education and awareness campaigns will also be realized through the increase.
