5th Commencement lecture focuses on climate change
The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) at Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region has held its fifth commencement lecture as part of its yearly activities to begin the academic year.
The event, which marks a significant milestone in the university’s academic journey, providing a platform for intellectual discourse, reflection and inspiration, was on the theme: “Forest for the future: Strategies for addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainable development in Ghana”.
The lecture brought together distinguished scholars, industry experts, policy makers and thought leaders who shared groundbreaking ideas and perspectives on issues relevant to environmental sustainability, sustainable development and global challenges.
It also highlighted UESD’s unwavering dedication to academic excellence, research and innovation, which reaffirmed the university’s mission as a centre of knowledge in environmental and sustainable development studies.
Environmental challenges
The Vice-Chancellor of UESD, Prof. Eric Nyarko Sampson, who doubled as the Chairman for the occasion, in his opening and closing remarks, said the theme for this year’s event underscored the critical role forests played in tackling contemporary environmental challenges such as deforestation, climate change, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.
He explained that the event highlighted the importance of sustainable forest management and policy innovation in Ghana’s quest for environmental resilience and socio-economic growth.
Threat of SDGs
The guest speaker for the programme, Dr Seth Appiah-Kubi of A Rocha Ghana, who extensively touched on various aspects of the theme, said the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals was threatened by an array of escalating and mutually reinforcing environmental risks.
He said current projected changes in climate, biodiversity loss and pollution made achieving the SDGs even more challenging.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, who hails from the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area, lauded the UESD for the good work being done in the university since its establishment.
She said as a daughter of the land, she would do what was humanly possible as a regional minister to ensure the uncompleted infrastructure in the university were completed to promote effective teaching and learning.
There were solidarity messages from GTEC, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), among others.
As part of the programme, a Rocha Ghana Award Scholarship Scheme was launched.
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Edward Wiafe Debrah, pledged that UESD would work hard towards the scholarship scheme in the interest of the university’s students.