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Ghana's forest dwindling fast for lack
of conservation
Akyawkrom (Ash), Nov 24, Ghanadot/GNA- Ghana's forest cover
of about 8 million hectares at the time of the country's
independence had dwindled to less than 2 million hectares.
Madam Esther Obeng Dapaah, Minister of Lands, Forestry and
Mines, disclosed this, adding that over-logging by illegal
chain-saw operators and timber contractors had compounded
the problem.
She said excessive surface mining, conversion of natural
forest into agriculture land, annual bushfires, expansion of
infrastructure and changes in land uses also contributed to
the dwindling.
Madam Dapaah was addressing members of the Ghana Timber
Association (GTA) at their Annual General Meeting under the
theme: "Helping To Build Ghana Through The Conservation of
Our Forest," at Akyawkrom in the Ejisu-Juaben District of
the Ashanti Region on Friday.
She said the current state of
the nation's forest resources should be a major concern to
all Ghanaians since it was very critical to the survival of
the forest reserve adding that the Ministry had stepped up
efforts to reclaim the lost forest belt.
Madam Dapaah charged the Forestry Commission to comply
strictly with the provisions of the existing statutory legal
regimes in granting timber harvesting rights, to stem the
tide of unhealthy practices.
She said this would ensure that foreigners who had sited
timber processing facilities in various tree plantations and
forest reserves in the country without the requisite
approval from the authorities were barred from operating.
She said the effective implementation of existing legal
provisions in respect of forest resources would assist in
reducing illegal logging, waste control in logging and
processing, as well as a significant reduction in
over-exploitation of timber.
Mr Osei Kwame Boateng-Poku, president of the GTA, said.
the Association had established over 280 hectares of tree
plantations, including teak, cedrella and edinam, at the
Boumfuom Forest Reserve in the Asante-Akim North District as
part of programmes lined up to boost the reserve.
He also said the Association would also establish 700
hectares of tree plantation within the reserve to ensure
ecological balance of the area.
GNA
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