Commit to environmental action for sustainable future - Graphic MD urges stakeholders

Stakeholders in the natural resources sector have been urged to commit to action to save the environment and create a sustainable future.

The commitments, it was suggested, should focus on proactive measures to nurture and protect the natural resource endowments of the country for the good of present and future generations.

The Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group (GCGL), Ato Afful, made the call yesterday at the opening of a two-day stakeholders dialogue, organised by the GCGL in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in Accra.

The event has been christened: “Harnessing our Natural Resources for our Sustainable Collective Good”.

Collaboration

Mr Afful said in addition to committing to take action, stakeholders should "learn from what has been done over time and make a difference for our environment, our communities and our future.

By caring and working together, we can create a sustainable future for all Ghanaians; living and unborn".

He further urged stakeholders to approach natural resource management more holistically by balancing economic progress, environmental conservation and social welfare with revenues and growth or developmental aspirations. 

“We must collaborate to develop novel solutions that support sustainable production and consumption trends," he said.

He also urged that mining and other land-use activities should be carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner that takes into consideration the preservation of the environment and the well-being of people.

Mr Afful also advocated the promotion of sustainable growth and the protection of the environment through collaboration with the people, government, civic society and all commercial interests in the extraction and use of natural resources.

"To ensure that we satisfy current demands without jeopardising the interests and wellness of future generations, we must embrace sustainable practices in resource use and management," he said.

Mr Afful said Ghana, which is the centre of planet earth, was endowed with an abundance of natural resources, including arable lands, forests, water bodies, minerals, among others, but said these resources were finite and had to be nurtured and protected.

Such an action, he explained, was important because the nation's natural resources and the associated extractive industries had been critical in its revenue base, and instrumental to national progress and development over the years.

Ghana, he said, was noted for its abundant natural resources, which included gold, diamonds, bauxite, manganese, oil, lithium ore, and until recently, abundant hardwood timber.

The mining sector, he added, had played an important part in the country's economic development, creating jobs and generating revenue for the government to support other initiatives.

However, he noted, the excessive, unrestrained, unbridled and unrepentant extraction and use of natural resources had "resulted in irreparable damage, in some instances, to our environment and on occasions contributed to disasters and the loss of precious human lives".

Citing illegal mining, popularly referred to as galamsey, Mr Afful said it had had a negative impact on the environment, with a ripple effect on deforestation, excessive water pollution and the destruction of natural habitats, fauna and flora.

He said illegal mining, which was a function of poor land usage, cost the government money and eventually harmed the country's economic progress and international brand reputation.

"The impact of illegal mining on our environment and its potential implications on public health is enormous, and cannot be overlooked for much longer," he said.

"As a progressive nation and well-meaning people, we cannot, will not and shall not ignore the evolving menace of unregulated and uncoordinated illegal mining, and indiscriminate land acquisition and use," he said.

He said the stakeholders dialogue would provide a platform for panellists and participants to share practical perspectives to facilitate Ghana's progress on harnessing its natural resources for the sustainable collective good of all.