The Paramount Chief of Bongo Traditional Area in the Bongo District in the Upper East Region, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyaroom, has initiated a tree planting project in communities under his jurisdiction.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency after a sensitization programme on the project for 32 sub-chiefs and representatives of community members from the district, the paramount chief said the move was in response to the impact of climate change, which he said had seriously affected the area.
Bongo District, which experiences very dry weather conditions, is very close to Burkina Faso.
Nana Aleemyaroom said due to the dry conditions, the pattern of rainfall in the area has been inconsistent and was seriously affecting farming activities.
He noted that it was against that background that he formed an environmental Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) named: "Green Bongo for Sustainable Environment", to undertake tree planting.
The Paramount Chief said the NGO was being supported with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF)) of the United Nation Development Project (UNDP) Grant.
He noted that so far 32 communities in the District had been earmarked for the tree planting exercise with 16 areas selected to start the project this year.
Naba Aleemyaroom said seedlings would be bought whilst plans made to nurse about 140,000 seedlings annually for planting.
He indicated that people, especially the youth groups in the area would be trained in tree planting, compost making and woodlot plantation and how to prevent wild fires.
"My main focus is to create a sustainable and sound environmental management in Bongo and the entire area of my jurisdiction. I therefore charged you all sub-chiefs under me to take the project in good faith and see to it that it is successfully implemented", he stressed.
He indicated that the sponsorship package for the project was about 224,000 US dollars and would be in three phases.
Six thousand dollars would be used under the first phase.
He commended the Management of the GEF of UNDP Grant for the support and pledged that the funding would be judiciously used for its intended purpose so as to ensure a sustainable and sound environment in Bongo.
The Paramount Chief also appealed to other donors to come to their aid to enable further fight desertification.