Desertification: World Marks Drought And Desertification Day

June 17 is 25 years since the world started addressing the issue of drought and desertification with one voice. This became necessary because about 30 percent of the world’s population live in dry areas, which cover more than 40 percent of the world’s land surface. Desertification does not refer to the expansion of deserts, but rather the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas. These areas are characterised by severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth of development of plant and animal life.
Currently, there are about 197 parties to the UN Convention to combat Desertification, UNCCD of which Ghana is a signatory. The parties to the Convention are implementing actions to recover and restore degraded lands. To be in tune with the Convention, Ghana has developed a National Action Programme which spans from 2002 to 2027 with the objective to sustain high agricultural production and ensure food security. While enhancing livelihood as the convention marks its silver jubilee, the UNCCD is accessing the implementation of projects under the convention and beyond.
Ghana is also accessing a programme it rolled out in the Northern Region which is the sustainable land and water management. In view of this, officials from the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and the Environmental Protection Agency are in the Jijen and Sentie areas of the Dffiama-Bussie Issa in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region. They will inspect woodlots, green firebreaks and tree planting exercises in the areas. The two-day event will also afford officials of the forestry Service Division to educate communities on the effects of drought and desertification.
According to statistics, desertification, land degradation and drought are affecting millions of people. It is estimated that the world loses about 24 billion tonnes of fertile lands every year. Degradation in land quality is responsible for a reduction in the national domestic product of up to eight percent annually. It is this direction that the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres is calling for an urgent action to change the trends in protecting and restoring land to reduce forced migration, improved land security to spur economic growth as well as helping to address global emergency.
“Let’s Grow the future” together is the theme for this year’s day, which falls June 17.  It focuses on three key issues, related to land, drought, human security and climate.  These three issues are the major drivers of migration from the northern part of the country to urban centres. The associated problems are seen in the slums they live in. These issues if not handled with urgency pose a security and health threat to the country.
Since the UNCCD programme is being implemented in the Northern Region, it is an indication that the country is threatened with desertification and drought.  It is in this regard that the country is in the process of signing on to the Africa Risk Capacity initiative. This is a continental insurance facility for sovereign states to buy, to address natural disasters such through with that assessment and has opted for drought insurance, with maize as the security crop.
It behoves Ghanaians to take a cue from countries like Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia which have been hard hit by drought.  The recent harvesting of rosewood by foreigners should be a wake-up call for all, especially communities in savannah areas.  Communities should speak out and report such illegal practices to the security agencies to address the wanton destruction of forest reserves.  No amount of tree planting exercises will address the drought and desertification menace when we look on for others to cut down trees to destroy our forest cover.
BY JOYCE GYEKYE, AN ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALIST.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Need For Ghanaians To Support The 2021 Budget

  The 2021 budget focused on the need to complete all previously initiated projects, consolidate the economy and continue with new programmes for the benefit of the people. The previous practice where some of the uncompleted projects were delayed for various reasons is unacceptable and must be abandoned for the progress of the country. This is good and ought to be realized because abandoned or neglected projects constitute a drain on the resources of the country. Development programmes must be well thought through before their implementation. Their implementation must also be well planned so that they will not constitute a waste of resources in the country. If this is done at all times, the entire country will benefit from a sound and maximum use of its limited resources for Ghanaians. This must therefore guide all governments, present and future for the rapid socio-economic development of the country. It is clear that government needs more revenue to be able to finance its development
Read more

One Year Of Coronavirus In Ghana

  Exactly a year ago, Ghana announced the first two recorded Coronavirus cases in the country. This was after few months that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared the disease a public health emergency of international concern. It became the highest level of alarm under international law. The WHO published an interactive timeline showcasing how the organization has taken action on information, science, leadership, advice, response and resourcing. A year on, Ghana’s Covid-19 death toll has reached 656, with active case standing at 4,782 with 272 new cases recorded, leading to 86,737 total confirmed cases. Experts are of the opinion that the figures might have been terrible but for the pragmatic and prudent measures put in by the Government, which was hailed across the globe. Ghana is said to have been one of the world’s best countries to have managed the spread of COVID-19 very well. Indeed, the country’s leadership with respect to the control of the pandemic has been superb.
Read more

Showing compassion to the less privileged

  Poverty, it is said, is a serious disease which when it afflicts you, will not kill you easily but rather disorganises your plans and ways of living and renders you impotent. Nobody is born poor on this earth but rather, certain unforeseen circumstances give way to poverty. A touchy and heart-rendering story of an 18-year old orphan who is desirous of becoming a doctor in the future but currently facing financial challenges to support his education to realise his ambition is for some time now trending on social media. Edward Elorm Gbanaglo is said to have completed his secondary education at the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School (PRESEC) in Accra with seven A’s and two B’s and has gained admission into the University of Health and Allied Sciences at Ho in the Volta Region. He managed to pay his admission fees with the help of his late mother’s friends. However, Elorm, who defied all odds to make excellent grades, fears he might not be able to complete the program because he does
Read more