Accra: An associate professor at the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, has emphasized the need for a national shift from merely planting trees to intentionally nurturing them as a viable long-term climate change solution. Dr. Francis Kofi Ewusie Nunoo highlighted that while tree planting remains a crucial intervention for climate resilience, many of the trees planted across the country fail to survive beyond their first year due to insufficient maintenance and lack of community ownership.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Nunoo expressed these views during a tree planting exercise organized by Women in Water, Sanitation and Climate Change (WWSCC) and partners held at Accra High School. The event saw the planting of over 2,000 seedlings, including ornamentals, vegetables, fruits, and shade plants, within the school premises. Prof. Nunoo, along with Madam Evelyn Sagbil Nabia, the Headmistress of the School, and Mr. Sai Subramanian, the Asset Director of Tullow Ghana, participated in the exercise by planting seedlings in their names.
Dr. Nunoo emphasized that planting a tree is just the beginning, stating, "We must water, protect, and monitor them if we want to realize the true environmental, economic, and social benefits trees offer." He explained that trees act as carbon sinks, absorbing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby aiding in reducing global warming and mitigating climate change impacts such as extreme heat, erratic rainfall, and floods. He further urged the government to invest in monitoring technologies, irrigation systems, and community-based incentive schemes to ensure high survival rates for planted trees.
Madam Nabia welcomed the initiative, promising that the school's environmental club would ensure each tree is assigned a caretaker to nurture it properly. She remarked that the exercise not only beautified the school environment but also instilled a sense of responsibility among the students towards nature conservation. "This event goes beyond the physical act of planting trees. It is about planting ideas and values in the hearts of our young ones, values of sustainability, environmental stewardship, and civic responsibility," she commented.
Madam Sandra Kyere, the Executive Director of WWSCC, noted that the exercise is part of a broader climate action initiative aimed at fostering environmental stewardship among the youth. She explained that involving students in such activities is a deliberate effort to inspire long-term behavioral change and environmental consciousness from an early age. "We believe schools are fertile grounds not just for academic learning, but also for cultivating values that shape responsible citizens. Planting a tree may seem small, but it is a powerful act of hope and investment in the future," she stated.
Madam Kyere also mentioned that the initiative aligns with national and global goals, including Ghana's Green Ghana campaign and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 13 on Climate Action and Goal 15 on Life on Land.
