KMA rallies stakeholders to mark International Day of the Forests, World Water Day

From second right, Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi Assisted by Nana Dwomoh Sarpong planting a Coconut seedling
Ing. Nana Poku Agyeman, President of the Club, assisted by the MCE, planted a symbolic coconut tree seedling at the Gardens.
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KMA rallies stakeholders to mark International Day of the Forests, World Water Day

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has whippedup the enthusiasm on environmental awareness with the commemoration of twosignificant events – International Day of the Forests and World Water Day,marked on March 21and March 22 each year, respectively.

Both events were observed in the wake of thechanging climatic conditions, which had been necessitated by the increasingdeterioration of the environment, especially the indiscriminate felling oftrees and bush-burning, pollution of water bodies, amongst others.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. OseiAssibey Antwi, in line with the commemoration, led various exercises to drawpublic attention to the need to work assiduously to enhance the ecology andbiodiversity.

Onhand to give moral and technical support to the exercise included Friends ofRivers and Water Bodies, an environmental-based Non-Governmental 

Organization (NGO), Kumasi Rotary Club,Youth-in-Afforestation programme, Forestry Commission, amongst others 

Activities undertaken by the Assembly and itspartners included inspection of trees planted under the Assembly’s ‘Keep KumasiClean and Green (KKCG’) Project.

The Rotary Club as part of the occasion officiallyannounced their decision to adopt the wetlands near the offices of the KMA, andconsequently, named the area ‘Rotary Club Gardens’.

In connection with this, Ing.  Nana Poku Agyeman, President of the Club,assisted by the MCE, planted a symbolic coconut tree seedling at the Gardens.

The Assembly had since the inception of the KKCGplanted various tree species provided by the Forestry Research Institute ofGhana (FORIG), including ‘ofram’, ‘emire’, ‘kusia’, ‘akeyaa’, ‘royal palmtree’, ‘mahogany’ and ‘odum’.

Mr. Osei Assibey said the trees apart from beautifyingthe metropolis, also served as a means to absorb the increasing carbon in theatmosphere, which had contributed immensely to the changing climaticconditions.

He drew attention to the fact that under theAssembly’s bye-laws it was mandatory for house owners to plant trees withintheir premises.

The MCE warned that the Assembly would not tolerateany practices likely to deteriorate the environment, and urged all and sundryto be environmentally-conscious.

Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, President of Rivers and WaterBodies, advised the citizenry to desist from building on water courses as itcaused flooding with its attendant consequences on life and property.