Mr Richard Cecil Semey, Team Lead, Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy (SEaP), Northern Volta and Oti Regions, has said tree planting is one of the best ways to sustain the environment.

He said trees when planted, nurtured, preserved and protected go a long way to protect humanity as well as the environment.

Mr Semey who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during a tree planting exercise in Likpe Bakua, Todome and Mate communities in the Oti region, said it was time citizens embraced the habit of tree planting to keep the environment in its natural state.

"The primary aim of this tree planting exercise today is to contribute meaningfully to calls by the United Nation for Climate Action as stated by the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 and to promote the SDG 11 of Sustainable Cities and Communities."

He said communities that had inadequate trees as a result of illegal logging remained disaster-prone to high-speed winds, which could affect life and property.

"We know more trees on our land means less global warming activities since the emissions of carbon dioxide have increased in the atmosphere by 50 per cent since the 1990s. We are also on the campaign to get this reduced for the survival of all living things in the near future."
He, therefore, urged members of the beneficiary communities to take care of the trees planted and to plant more to help protect the environment for the unborn generations.

Mr Semey said the Group, made up of Master of Science in Development Management students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), appreciated that good trees could help sustain the environment as demanded by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15.

The exercise, held in collaboration with the Hohoe Municipal National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and Department of Parks and Gardens, saw the distribution of 300 nursed trees to the communities.

Mr Hilarius Kofi Gockel, the Hohoe Municipal Director of NADMO, called on the communities to preserve the trees through regular watering and fencing.

He also asked them to report any usual signs that may develop on the trees for the necessary help adding that "when these trees grow, they don't only check as wind-breaks but provide shades for the community."

Madam Irene Akrobo, Hohoe Municipal Parks and Gardens Officer, said most communities that had enough trees tended to breathe unpolluted air were not victims to wind-breaks.

The Officer also called on communities to plant trees along the banks of water bodies to protect them from drying up.

Members of the communities expressed gratitude for the initiative and pledged to take the needed care of the trees.

Mr Dormenya Zury, Assemblyman for Likpe Mate Electoral Area, said the community would peg, fence and regularly water the trees.

He said the illegal felling of trees must be checked to protect life and property.

Some variety of trees planted included acacia, terminalia catappa (Indian almond tree) and bauhinia monandra.