It is a day set aside by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness on the importance of all types of forest and trees outside forests. The UN, however, allows member states to adapt the date of the celebration of the International Day of Forests to suit their peculiar circumstances.

In this direction, Ghana chooses the month of May every year for the celebration of the Day to coincide with the major rainy and planting season. A statement issued by Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, Chief Executive Forestry Commission, said this year’s celebration, the seventh since its inception, will be observed in May, 2018.

The global theme for the International Day of Forests 2018 is “Forests and Sustainable Cities.”

Ghana has, however, carved a theme out of the global one, to suit its peculiar circumstances.  It therefore chose “Maintaining the Balance between Urbanisation and Forest Conservation.”The statement said urban forestry is the care and management of single trees and tree population in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment.

It said urban forestry advocated the role of trees as a critical part of the urban infrastructure.

“Urban trees are excellent filters for urban pollutants and fine particulates.  Trees provide food, medicine and other household needs. Spending time near trees   improves physical and mental health by increasing energy levels and speed of recovery, while decreasing blood pressure and stress,” the statement said.

When trees are properly placed around buildings, they can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 per cent and save energy. Trees provide habitat, food and protection to plants and animals, thereby increasing urban biodiversity. Forests in cities help absorb industrial fumes and emissions creating a healthier atmosphere for both humans and animals thereby reducing cost of medical expenses.

These benefits notwithstanding, the increasing population growth and its corresponding rapid urbanisation prompted by demographic shift from rural to urban settlements, appears to have overwhelmed the planning and carrying capacities of metropolitan, municipal and district administrators.

This is what is believed to have manifested in the destruction and shrinking of green spaces in urban settlements to give way to infrastructural development.The Achimota Forest in Accra, the Dechidaw Forest Reserve in Tema, the Tamale Town Plantations in the Northern Region, the Kabakaba Hills Forest Reserve at Ho in the Volta Region are some examples.

Indiscriminate tree felling in our urban settlements also account for sure environmental challenges such as erosion, flooding, devastating rainstorms, collapse of buildings, among others.

Major interventions being pursued to address these challenges include; policy and legislative reforms, law enforcement, restoration of degraded landscapes through the National Forest Plantations Development Programme and promotion of woodlots establishment.

The choice of the theme for the celebration is therefore, to provide the opportunity to educate the general public on the tremendous potential of forests towards the sustainability of our cities. This is imperative to engender an appreciation for the need to strike a balance between increased physical urbanisation and environmental sustainability in general.

Forestry Commission will collaborate with Metropolitan, Municipal, District Assemblies, Estate Developers, the Town and Country Planning Department, Ghana Institute of Architects and the public to plant more trees in our cities in realisation of His Excellency the President of Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo’s agenda of achieving greener cities, a reality.

Activities earmarked for this year’s week-long celebration are: Tree Planting along Major Roads in the Cities, Inter-schools quiz competition on Maintaining the Balance between Urbanisation and Forest Conservation, with Tree Planting Exercises, Launch of 7th Forestry Week and Greening Ghana Day Celebration and Stakeholder Forum on Maintaining the Balance Between Urbanisation and Forest Conservation.”