‘Green Ghana Day’ Slated For June 9

The 2023 edition of the Green Ghana Day has been fixed for Friday, June 9, 2023 to be held across the country.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo in the Savannah Region,at a press briefing yesterday, April 26, 2023 at the ministry.

According to him, the official launch of the Green Ghana Day will be performed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, in Kumasi this May.

Mr. Jinapor indicated that this year’s Green Ghana Day will be held on the theme “Our Forests, Our Health,” adding that the theme has been chosen “to reflect the importance of forests in our lives, and to remind us of the many health and related benefits we derive from forests.”

The Green Ghana Day was instituted in 2021 by the government, under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme to restore the lost forest cover of the country.

At the maiden edition, over seven million trees were planted, exceeding the target of five million trees. And last year, over 24million trees were planted, exceeding the target of 20million trees.

Speaking at the press briefing, Mr. Jinapor said the 2021 edition had a survival rate of81 per cent, while the 2022 edition had a survival rate of 72 per cent.

This, he said, brings the total number of surviving trees for the two years to over 23million.

The minister underscored the important role trees and forests play in both human survival and the survival of the earth.

According to Mr. Jinapor, the target for this year’s Green Ghana Day is 10million trees and the target has been revised downwards this year, to ensure that adequate resources and attention are devoted to nurturing the over 23million trees surviving from the first two editions of the Green Ghana Day.

He said seedlings will be made available at the ministry, the district offices of the Forestry Commission and designated locations, for collection on the Green Ghana Day.

The minister also said opportunities are available for corporate Ghana to adopt compartments in forest reserves to plant, and the forest will be branded with the company’s name and logo.

He called on Ghanaians of all walks of life, including traditional authorities, civil and public servants, doctors, lawyers, judges, teachers, nurses, artisans, and all residents of Ghana to support the project, come out in their numbers and make this year’s Green Ghana Day a success.

Source: Anchorghana.com