A professor of history of Ghana and the Environment at the University of Cape Coast has hinted that Ghana’s forest belt will become a dry Savannah if concrete measures are not taken to safeguard it.
Activities like illegal mining, deforestation and illegal chainsaw operations are known to be destroying the forest belt.
According to Prof. Kwame Osei Kwarteng, environmental degradation is now more severe in the forest belt because of illegal mining.
He believes if efforts to conserve the forest belt are not intensified, their vegetation will be lost leading to negative impacts on human lives and wildlife.
“If you can visualize how the forest is if you haven’t gone to the forest before. Today this is how it is, And so if we don’t take care our forest will become a desert” he said.
In conserving, the forest belt, many stakeholders are of the view that certain cultural beliefs and practices of the indigenous people of Ghana have been of help over the years.
The Akans Ade3 is said to have helped to forbid people from engaging in practices that harmed the environment.
During his inaugural lecture held on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, on the topic, The Ideological Square: The Historian’s Framework for Environmental Conservation,” at the University of Cape Coast, Prof Osei Kwarteng however, lamented how some Akan imperatives that helped to conserve the environment have been acculturated.
He attributes this to the British colonization of the then Gold Coast as well as the introduction of Christianity and Islam in the country in the 19th Century.
Meanwhile, in recent times some key traditional leaders have taken drastic measures to discipline culprits of environmental degradation.
A classic example is the attempt by the Bantamahene, Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI, to divert the course of the Subin River at its source at race course in Bantama Kumasi.
The Bantamahene diverted the course of the river following that he sold the land to a developer.
This was brought to the attention of the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who dealt drastically with the offender, the Bantamahene.
Following this, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II sat in the state over the issue on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, and in all his kindness showed mercy and traditionally fined the Bantamahene.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II also ordered the said structures on the race course land to be demolished to restore the river course.
Prof Osei Kwarteng believes such drastic measures must be continued to promote the conservation of Ghana’s deteriorating environment.
Source: Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
