Asantehene will plant 2.5 million trees around Lake Bosomtwe | General news

Osantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, said his commitment to plant and manage 2.5 million trees around Lake Bosomtwe.

The five-year project is part of Asantehene's commitment to protecting Asanteman's water bodies.

According to a statement from the Manhyia Palace, Otumfuo Osei Tutu said it during the Akwasidae celebration at Manhyia Palace last Sunday.

The landscape restoration intervention project will cover approximately 4,000 hectares.

Otumfuo expressed hope that the project would ultimately contribute to improving the ecosystem, service delivery, climate change mitigation and improved environmental awareness of the inhabitants of the lake's outlying communities.

"The project is expected to contribute to Ghana's environmental protection efforts, contribute to the fight against climate change, contribute to Ghana's commitment to the Bonn challenge and improve tourism." around Lake Bosomtwe, "said Asantehene.

Designation of UNESCO

In response to a call by Otumfuo Osei Tutu for the protection of Ghana's only natural lake, Lake Bosomtwe, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ), designated in 2016 as a biosphere reserve site a balance between biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.

A tripartite agreement was signed between UNESCO, the Ministry of Water Resources, Public Works and Housing and Asantehene, the guardian of the lake.

The partners

The 2.5 million tree project around Lake Bosomtwe is a partnership between Oheneba Poku Foundation, an NGO, and Manhyia Palace.

Other stakeholders include the Forestry Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Water Resources Commission, the Ghana Tourism Authority, UNESCO, the Bosome-Freho District Assemblies and Bosumtwe and Bosomtwe Lake Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA), an NGO.

Multiple schemas

The project will adopt several tree planting schemes, particularly a mix of agro-forestry approaches and pure plantations.

In the case of agroforestry, the project will liaise with individual farmers to integrate and manage the trees on their farmland.

For fallow land, planting will be done either by fortification or by complete afforestation.

The planting of trees will also be carried out in the school grounds, as far as possible.

In general, native tree species will be planted in the region to at least restore cultural heritage.

Where possible, mixed stands will be adopted to improve the biodiversity of the restored area, which would help restore ecosystems in functioning areas, where services will be provided to ensure the daily livelihood of the inhabitants, such as collection. snails, mushrooms and fish. other non-timber forest products derived from forests.

Chairs Amakomhene

Otumfuo Osei Tutu asked Amakomhene, Nana Adu Mensah Asare, to chair the Implementation Committee to ensure a transparent and successful implementation of the project.

Executive Director of the Oheneba Poku Foundation, Mr. Fred Kyei Sapong, revealed that all communities around Lake Bosomtwe would be sensitized to the importance of tree planting, protection and environmental conservation , as well as their effects and solutions.

To badociate with Otumfuo for planting 2.5 million trees could "seem like a symbolic gesture of climate justice, but it will also reverse the reduction in water level of the planet." lake and protect the mbad of water for the next 200 years.