The Sunyani Forestry Division manager, Mr. Adu Gyamfi is advocating for increased collaboration and the establishment of an environmental court to protect Ghana’s forest reserves.
This call to action emphasizes the importance of a multi-faceted approach in safeguarding natural resources, particularly in the Bono Region and Ghana at large.
Mr. Adu Gyamfi believes that by working together with stakeholders, including security agencies, local communities, media and civil society organizations, Ghana can more effectively manage and protect its forest reserves.
Mr. Adu Gyamfi spoke on Ark FM’s morning political show about the increasing degradation of forest reserves due to cattle invasion and human activities, specifically at Tain II Forest Reserve at Namasua in Berekum East Municipal of the Bono Region.
The Forestry Division manager revealed that five of seven forest reserves, including Sawsaw, Tain II, Tain I, Nsemre, and Yaya, have been degraded by cattle and human activities.
Mr. Adu Gyamfi also cited wildfires and chainsaw activities as contributing factors to forest depletion.
According to him, collaborative effort would help to address these alarming issues such as deforestation, cattle invasion, illegal logging, and habitat destruction.
Mr. Gyamfi highlighted that the proposed environmental court would specialize in handling cases related to environmental crimes and disputes, providing a more efficient and effective way to address issues affecting forest reserves.
This would help to ensure that those responsible for environmental degradation are held accountable and that the country’s natural resources are protected for future generations.
He expressed concern that those responsible for environmental degradation are sometimes fined as low as GH₵3,600.
According to him, many judges lack understanding of the devastating impact of destructive activities, such as cattle invasion, illegal logging, and mining leading to inadequate judgments that fail to deter offenders.
The manager lamented that the issue of insufficient fines was particularly pressing in the Bono Region, where environmental degradation poses significant threats to ecosystems and local communities.
Hence, strengthening environmental laws and educating specialized judges on the severity of environmental crimes could help address this issue.
Mr. Adu Gyamfi emphasized the importance of punishing offenders punitively to combat environmental degradation.
He also called on all security agencies to collaborate and intensify the arrest of illegal invaders.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Kaakyire Kwasi Afari, Ark FM, Sunyani
