Ghana must move beyond periodic tree-planting campaigns and place greater emphasis on protecting newly planted trees and existing forests if the country is to effectively tackle climate change and environmental degradation, an environmental expert has said.
Dr Owusu Fordjour Aidoo, an environmental expert, researcher and lecturer at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), said planting trees without ensuring their survival would undermine efforts to restore Ghana’s degraded forests.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said the continued destruction of forest cover through illegal mining, logging, bushfires and other human activities was worsening environmental degradation and exposing communities to the effects of climate change.
According to Dr Aidoo, newly planted trees require regular watering, maintenance and protection from bushfires, animals and human activities to enable them to mature and deliver their environmental benefits.
He said the country’s afforestation efforts should therefore focus not only on increasing the number of trees planted but also on ensuring that those trees survive and develop into healthy forests.
“ We need more trees to keep us alive and healthy for our future generations,” he said.
Dr Aidoo explained that trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen, making forests an important natural mechanism for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He also stressed the importance of protecting Ghana’s remaining forests, which provide habitats for wildlife, support biodiversity and help maintain ecological balance.
Beyond their role in climate mitigation, he said forests protect rivers and other water bodies, reduce soil erosion and improve environmental quality, with significant benefits for agriculture and the livelihoods of communities.
Dr Aidoo said the destruction of forests and vegetation was particularly worrying because climate change was already affecting communities through rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, floods, droughts and other extreme weather conditions.
He called for renewed national commitment to afforestation and reforestation, saying tree planting should become a continuous national practice rather than an activity reserved for special environmental campaigns.
He urged schools, churches, traditional authorities, businesses, civil society organisations and community groups to participate actively in tree planting and, more importantly, the protection of planted trees.
The environmental expert also called on traditional and religious leaders to use their platforms to educate their followers about the importance of protecting trees and avoiding activities that contribute to forest destruction.
He urged government agencies and other stakeholders to intensify public education and enforcement of environmental laws to curb indiscriminate tree cutting, illegal logging, bushfires and other activities that threaten Ghana’s forests.
Dr Aidoo further encouraged the youth to take a leading role in environmental protection, noting that they would ultimately inherit the consequences of decisions being made about the environment today.
He said a sustained national effort to restore degraded lands and protect existing forests would help safeguard biodiversity and strengthen Ghana’s resilience to climate change.
He therefore called for a collective commitment from government, communities, businesses, traditional authorities and individuals to ensure that Ghana’s tree-planting efforts translate into lasting forest restoration and environmental protection.
