NGO launches initiative to plant 1m trees to rehabilitate galamsey lands

A non-profit organisation, Africa Afforestation Association (AAA), has launched a project to plant 1,482, 210 trees to rehabilitate lands affected by illegal mining in the country.

Dubbed, “Operation Hope”, the large-scale reforestation project seeks to reclaim 20 000 hectares over a 10-year period.

It will begin with a pilot in the Offin shelterbelt forest reserve in the Ashanti region in October this year.

The project will make use of a planting technology to rehabilitate hectares of galamsey-affected lands by planting fast-growing and economically valuable tree species such as mangoes, avocados, teak, mahogany among others.

Technology

Known as the Groasis Waterboxx, the planting technology is designed to conserve water while improving tree survival rates, particularly in arid and degraded environments.

It works by minimizing water consumption by creating a self-sustaining microclimate for plants.

The technology also collects dew and rainwater, storing it for gradual release to the tree's roots, eliminating the need for frequent watering, making it ideal for areas with water scarcity, enabling reforestation even in arid and semi-arid regions.

Benefits

The Executive Director of AAA, Kwamy Kafui Togbey, explained that the project was expected to provide more than 1,200 jobs for local communities adding, “Operation

Hope will directly create jobs in planting, tree muntenance, and soil restoration.

“The initiative will also generate indirect employment opportunities in agroforestry-related industries while providing sustainable income streams for local communities through the mangoes and avocados,” he said.

Operation Hope, Mr Togbey said was not just a project but a call to action for a transformative mission aimed at restoring the lands and lives impacted by galamsey.

“Through initiative that represents a powerful blend of environmental restoration, community empowerment, and climate resilience, we envision a future where degraded lands are transformed into suitable ecosystems that sustain both nature and people,” he said.

He added that training programmes in agroforestry as part of the project implementation would equip women and young people with the skills and resources needed to lead sustainable livelihoods.

Effort  

In his remarks on the theme “Ghana’s commitment to reversing land degradation”, the Acting Director, Institute for Environment and Sanitation studies (IESS), University of Ghana, Prof. Benedicta Yayra Fosu-Mensah, said restoring degraded lands and building climate resilience required a collective effort.

She urged all stakeholders to commit wholeheartedly to the initiative adding, “Let us channel our resources, expertise, and energies toward a shared goal: a Ghana where degraded lands are not a legacy of despair but a testament to the power of renewal”.

Commendation

The Chief of Adidome, Togbe Kwasinyi Kakaklolo Agyeman V, who chaired the launching ceremony, lauded the AAA for spearheading the initiative and called for support from the public and government.

“We need full commitment of all and sundry.

The environment is all we have which contains our water bodies, forest which helps which biodiversity and the lands which grows our crops and feed our animals.

If we destroy it, we have destroyed our very existences as human spices,” he said.

He called on the government to work in collaboration with traditional leadership as custodians of the land and families who issue lands to educate the people on the effects of illegal mining.