The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources says despite some peculiar challenges it had recorded, the survival rates of some planted trees during the 2021 and 2022 Green Ghana projects have been positive.
The Green Ghana Initiative seeks to create a collective action toward the restoration of degraded landscapes in the country and to also mitigate climate change. The ministry explains that it recorded 64% and 67% survival rates for 2021 and 2022 under the project.
The ministry made this comment when a deputy Minister of Land and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio toured some parts of Accra on March 28, 2023, to inspect some trees planted at some selected sites of the Green Ghana Project. The areas visited were the Achimota Forest, and the University of Ghana Legon among others.
According to him, “the survival rate survey we conducted revealed that the seedlings distributed under the 2021 and 2022 Green Ghana project were duly planted on both forest and non-forest reserves. However, not all the planted seedlings survived. The findings show that for 2021 and 2022, the survival rate of the seedlings was 65% and 67% respectively.”
“They struggled but they survived. Some of them are growing beyond what we expected while others are struggling a bit. But the good news is that those that have withered are very few. In fact, in Achimota Forest we didn’t see any seedlings that had died.”
Mr. Owusu-Bio however attributed the non-survival of some of the seedlings to unfavourable weather conditions and some deliberate human activities.
“One of the main factors is inadequate rainfall and unfavourable weather conditions. This tree planting exercise and nurturing trees is still the beginning. Gradually everyone will come on board and will understand. And we are not going to relent; we will keep on with the exercise”.
