The Forestry Commission has warned that Ghana could face growing food insecurity if the rapid destruction of forest reserves caused by illegal mining and other human activities is not urgently addressed.
Speaking on the issue, the Commission’s Head of Corporate and Media Relations, Joyce Ofori Kwafo, said illegal mining activities in forest reserves are contributing significantly to climate change, rising temperatures, and the pollution of major water bodies relied upon by many communities.
According to her, the continuous destruction of forest cover is also affecting rainfall patterns across the country, with periods that should normally experience rainfall now becoming unusually dry and hotter for longer periods.
She explained that the changing weather conditions are already affecting farming activities and could worsen food shortages if immediate steps are not taken to protect the country’s forests.
Madam Kwafo further cautioned that continued degradation of forest resources could deepen poverty levels and create serious water challenges for communities.
She has therefore called for the Forestry Commission to be granted military status to strengthen its enforcement capacity in dealing with illegal mining activities destroying forest reserves across the country.
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