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| Ms Zenabu Wasai-King, Regional Director EPA |
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| Chief of Bongo, Naba Salifu Aleemyarum |
Stakeholders at a just ended consultative meeting chaired by the
Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Salifu Alemyaruum have been
urged to constructively make valuable input to the Draft National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan that seeks develop and promote the opportunities in
biodiversity conservation. The Upper East Regional Director of the EPA, Zenabu
Wasai-King who made the call at Bolgatanga emphasized the need for stakeholders
particularly; traditional rulers to closely scrutinize the draft policy and
make useful input to enable the country come out with valuable biodiversity
document. The meeting organized by the Regional Office of the EPA in
conjunction with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology brought
together various stakeholders including chiefs as well as representatives from
civil society organizations, the Game and Wildlife Department and the Forestry
Commission among others. Mrs. Wasai-King was optimistic that with
the interventions put in place by her ministry Ghana was sure of reaching the
global goals set out by the international community including the Aichi global
goals targeted at ensuring strong legal framework on matters of biodiversity
conservation in protected areas. Taking participants through the national
biodiversity strategy and action plan, a member of the National Biodiversity
Committee, Prof. Oteng Yeboah explained that aspects of the draft document were
fashioned through the review of the 1994 National Forest and Wildlife Policy.
According to him, the final document will be formulated and implemented based
on principles of sustainable forest, wildlife and land use management. The
draft biodiversity strategy, he moreover explained, was in consonance with the
Aichi global goals, spelling out the targets and actions to be taken in
achieving the set goals. Prof. Yeboah stated that in order for the
country to achieve the desired goals, it was incumbent on actors and
institutions concerned to effectively play their expected roles,
notwithstanding the mitigation strategies and measures put in place. He said
the national target had been set based on certain time lines indicating that
efforts aimed at reaching the required time line will ultimately depend on
activities involved in its implementation. Stakeholders at the meeting
gave useful inputs based on their experiences on previous environmental–related
documents and practical work experiences. Their major concern was the need to
review and possibly expand the implementing institutions and actors so as to
enable stakeholders buy into the successful implementation of the final
national biodiversity strategy and action plan for Ghana.
GBC
END
IA/
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