The protection of our environment requires proactive action

Our country has been rocked by a number of disasters in recent times and it seems as though disasters will be with us for some time.

This is in view of the fact that a careful observation of the disasters that have so far occurred point to the fact that they were man-made and, therefore, preventable.

But disaster after disaster, the man-made factors that culminate in those disasters keep on recurring, sometimes with some high level of disdain.

Former President Rawlings, over the weekend, added his voice to the call for state institutions to play their defined roles in identifying offending situations and taking the appropriate actions at stopping them, instead of waiting for disasters to occur.

Clearly, the degradation of the environment through human acts is the immediate cause of the disasters that occur in the country.

People continue to put up structures on water courses, in the full glare of local authorities, but no action is taken until a disaster occurs.

Day in, day out people continue to dump solid and non-biodegradable waste into open drains, while our forest reserves are being degraded with careless abandon.

Indiscipline on our roads have repeatedly led to needless road accidents, the latest being the accident that took place near Nkawkaw on the Accra-Kumasi road.

It is high time we paused as a nation to reflect proactively on our various activities and the impact they have on our environment and livelihoods.

We must come to terms with the reality that the unfortunate incidents that lead to the needless loss of lives are the result of our actions and inaction.

The Daily Graphic has said time and again that until there is restoration of discipline at all levels of our national life, we will not be rid of the fruits of indiscipline that include devastating floods, fires and fatal accidents.

However, what remains mind-boggling is that for all the environmental challenges that we face, there are institutions responsible for preventing those destructive actions or intervening when they are initiated by those in our society who see no responsibility in their actions.

These institutions have the mandate to apply the law, when offenders are caught, in a manner that will serve as a deterrent to potential offenders, but, somehow, the punitive regime is not working as it should.

It is the position of the Daily Graphic that when our environmental issues are handled proactively, the burden on state coffers when disasters occur, the needless loss of lives and the drain on national resources when epidemics break out will be significantly minimised to save cost and resources that can be channelled into priority areas.

Does it surprise anybody that despite the common inscription on buildings: “Final Warning: Stop Work”, the projects get completed and occupied as offices or residences?

Many think that these inscriptions have become a euphemism for “You have not seen us yet!”

Things cannot be business as usual. We must not fail to learn from our mistakes, otherwise we may, through our actions and inaction, invite an apocalypse that may shake the very foundations of our country in unimaginable ways in the not-too-distant future.

Let’s rise to the task and take the right steps to ensure a safe environment through responsible actions, so that we can build a better and safer future for ourselves and posterity.