Ophelia Mensah Hayford
The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Ophelia Mensah Hayford, has called on Ghanaians to adopt sustainable land management practices to protect the planet for greener, safer and better future for the country.
The minister, in a statement issued and signed on Monday, June 3, 2024 to mark the World Environment Day, said Ghanaians need to help tackle desertification and build drought resilience which is critical for advancing efforts to achieve sustainable development goals.
“Let’s therefore use this day as a catalyst for social change as we adopt sustainable land management practices and invest in resilient strategies to protect our planet’s existing natural resources and promote a greener, safer and better future for all,” the statement pointed out.
It said, “the United Nations has since 1975 declared June 5 of every year as World Environment Day, and 2024 marks the 51st anniversary of World Environment Day and will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has over time demonstrated pioneering efforts as part of commitments to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) in restoring degraded landscapes, combating desertification and building resilience to drought, thus, advancing efforts to achieve environmental conservation and sustainability.”
It mentioned that the objective of the celebration is to create regular public awareness and education on emerging environmental issues to serve as a global platform to accelerate and engage people, communities and governments around the world in order to stimulate action on critical environmental challenges facing the planet.
It added that to support the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution that declared 2021-2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration for accelerated progress on the commitments, this year’s celebration emphasises on the need for collaboration between governments, private sector organisations and individuals globally to increase efforts on Ecosystem Restoration at a mass scale to protect and restore degraded landscapes.
It also aims to tackle desertification and build drought resilience which is critical for advancing efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13 & 15 as well as ensuring a sustainable future for the planet, species and the next generation.
It further stated that as part of the commemoration under the theme, “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience – Journey to a Greener Future “with the slogan, “Our Land, Our Future,” the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other key stakeholders will undertake some activities including a quiz contest, exhibitions, tree planting exercises, public education and awareness creation on sustainable land management practices.
It will also facilitate dialogues on nature-based solutions suitable for ecosystem restoration, to advance efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 13 & 15, restore degraded landscapes, combat desertification, build effective resilience to drought, and ensure a sustainable future for both the planet and the next generation.
World Environment Day is celebrated on the theme, “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience”.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah