Convener of The Green Republic Project (TGRP), a youth-driven NGO combating climate change and global warming through tree planting, Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa, says overcoming the devastating climate crisis and its implication on the society will require bold, decisive, comprehensive solutions and public-private collaborations.
He resounded that the devastating nature of the environment is evident in the numerous media reportage of flooding, drought, and even changes in the rainy season patterns, affecting one of the key contributing sectors to GDP – agriculture – hence, a need to change the narrative.
“The horrible unfolding story of acute famine and drought in the horn of Africa region is a case in point. The United Nations Food Programme has referred to the current situation as the driest time in more than four decades after three consecutive failed rainy seasons.
In Ghana, there have been several reports of changes in rainfall patterns over the years, which makes it difficult for farmers to plan their farming activities, especially in the northern part where we concentrate our work. Recent and rampant occurrences of tidal waves along the coastal belt of Ghana and many other nations of the world, all point to an environmental crisis triggered by climate change and global warming which needs to be contained and resolved by reconciling humanity with nature through restoration.
The climate crisis is a battle humanity must win at all costs. The science and signs are clear enough that we are in a climate emergency. Decades of increasing carbon emissions threaten to devastate the natural ecosystem upon which humanity depends. We must act in real-time. I am more than convinced that overcoming the climate crisis will require bold, decisive, comprehensive solutions and public-private collaborations…,” he said at the second TGRP Annual Climate Benefit Ball, in Accra, themed: ‘Emerging from COVID-19 Pandemic to Accelerated Climate Action’.
High Commissioner of India to Ghana, Sugandh Rajaram, praised the TGRP’s efforts, emphasising that: “Mother nature has everything to satisfy our wants but definitely not our greed.”
He reiterated the need of acting on time and working together to accomplish the desired goals.
Supporting the tree planting agenda
Mr. Osei-Darkwa further called for all-hands-on-deck to support the tree planting agenda in action and through financing organisations dedicated to it, such as the TGRP
“We strongly believe that planting trees can play an important role in the fight against climate change and the devastation it causes, namely: heat waves, drought, erosion, flooding, wildfires, and displacement of people (climate refugees). We therefore seek to bring people together to plant 20 million trees in Ghana in the next decade, thereby, harnessing and monitoring nature’s own carbon capture mechanism, and enabling citizens to take urgent action against the climate crisis,” he said.
Director General of National Lottery Authority, Sammy Awuku, commended The Green Republic for its effort to promote sustainability by encouraging the planting of trees across the country. He urged the group not to give up in pursuing such a worthwhile goal.
Push for sole ministry for climate change and global warming
The convener also made a clarion call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider creating a sole ministry for climate change and global warming to give focus and dedication to the climate crisis which threatens nations and human existence.
