By Alex Ababio
Environmental degradation in Ghana results in an annual loss of US$54 billion, according to the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Kingsley Krugu.
Speaking at an event commemorating World Biodiversity Day in Accra, Dr. Krugu highlighted activities contributing to degradation, such as illegal mining, chemical pollution of water bodies, coastal habitat destruction, and climate change-induced erosion.
The assessment’s stated value might even be higher, he emphasized.
World Biodiversity Day, designated by the United Nations, aims to raise awareness about biological diversity.
This year’s theme, “Be Part of the Plan,” underscores humans’ responsibility to the environment as outlined in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
It urges action to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Dr. Krugu lamented the drastic reduction in Ghana’s closed forest reserves, from approximately 145,000 square kilometers in the 20th century to less than 15,000 square kilometers today.
He attributed this loss to unchecked human activities and overexploitation of resources.
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ophelia Mensah Hayford, stressed the importance of protecting Ghana’s unique natural heritage.
She highlighted the ministry’s commitment to integrating biodiversity conservation into various sectors and empowering stakeholders to participate actively in conservation efforts.
MESTI will collaborate with various entities to mobilize resources and implement coordinated actions for biodiversity conservation.