Green Damongo project launched - Targets over 32,000 trees

After spearheading the planting of over 52 million trees in four years under the Green Ghana Project, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has launched a private initiative to plant 32,000 trees in Damongo in the Savannah Region.

Known as the Green Damongo Project, the initiative, which is fully funded by Mr Jinapor in his capacity as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo, is meant to create enhanced awareness in the area on the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of degraded landscapes in Damongo.

Under the project, residents of Damongo will plant trees along the major roads and selected spaces within the town. The three-phased project will see the planting of 2,670 trees in Damongo, with 15,930 others to be planted in other areas, extending to Larabanga.

Phased project

At the launch of the project in Damongo last Friday, Mr Jinapor explained that phase one would be the planting of 2,670 trees along major roads in Damongo town and selected locations such as the old and new markets.

He said other areas in Damongo earmarked for tree-planting included the Military Junction to Hospital Road, the Agriculture College Junction to Kasha Restaurant, Damongo Bypass to Agriculture College, and the Sawla Highway to the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).

The second phase of the project involves the planting of trees from Kojo Pe to Damongo, covering a distance of 66 kilometres (km) on each side of the road while the third phase covers the stretch of road from Damongo to Sieyiri, also covering a distance of 83 km on each side.

Sustainability

To sustain the initiative, the MP’s Office is collaborating with the West Gonja Municipal Assembly, the Forestry Commission, all security agencies in the area, traditional authorities and identifiable groups to help protect the trees from destruction.

Mr Jinapor said drawing experience from the Green Ghana Project, strong wooden fences lined with wire mesh would be erected around the trees to protect them from grazing. The Damongo MP called on all residents of Damongo, irrespective of their party affiliation, to collectively work for the success of the project in the interest of posterity.

"Let us depart to our various homes with the assurance that each tree we plant under this initiative is a promise to the future, a promise of cleaner air, cooler climates, and a greener, healthier Damongo and Ghana. By working together, we can transform our constituency into a beacon of environmental progress and a model for others to follow," he said. 

Benefits

Mr Jinapor said given the crucial role trees played in the sustenance of humanity and the planet, it was important for all communities across the country to actively partake in afforestation and reforestation initiatives.

For instance, he said, the fact that more than 20 per cent of the world's avian biodiversity resided in tree canopies and green spaces within cities meant that all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) needed to prioritise tree-planting to green their streets.

“Unquestionably, trees in urban areas offer great benefits for personal well-being and air quality in densely populated cities; they remove air pollutants, release oxygen and keep the streets cooler during the hot season,” he added.

Mr Jinapor also said apart from mitigating the effects of changing climates, trees helped to improve air quality and mental health. He observed that planting trees on the median of roads was more than just an environmental initiative as it was “a promise to our children that we are taking responsibility for their future.”

Great initiative

The Municipal Chief Executive for West Gonja, Musah Karim Kusobari, said the Green Damongo project was a progressive move towards restoring the degraded landscape in the area and needed to be supported by all stakeholders.

He commended Mr Jinapor for the initiative and said the municipal assembly would ensure that the trees were protected from destruction so that they would grow to maturity.
Mr Kusobari also said a committee would be formed and tasked to monitor the growth of the trees.