The Lakeside Estates has joined the country’s Green Ghana Project by planting more than 200 seedlings of trees at the Lakeside Hills, within the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The planted species included royal palm dwarf, militia and memosa.
The Green Ghana Project was introduced in 2021 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as part of an aggressive national afforestation programme to restore the lost forest cover of the country, and to contribute to the global effort of mitigating climate change.
Speaking on the sidelines of the exercise, Managing Director, Lakeside Estate, Dr Prince Joseph Ayiku, commended the government for initiating the project to encourage the citizenry to help save Ghana’s forest reserve through tree planting activities.
He also urged residents at Lakeside Estate and the country at large, to keep up the good work of contributing towards reducing climate change impacts across the country.
Touching on the benefits of tree planting, he noted that such acts contributed to the resilience of communities by providing natural barriers against storms, floods and other natural disasters.
With the current threat to water bodies in communities where illegal mining activities are prominent, tree planting along riverbanks, he said could offer some form of protection for water bodies while controlling erosion.
“Our decision to take part in this initiative is because of the commitment the Lakeside Estates has made to join efforts of the government in addressing environmental challenges. As a Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana, (CIMG) Real Estate Company of the year, we are very particular about making the environment conducive for habitation.”
“We believe that by promoting tree planting in our vicinity especially, we can create sustainable, attractive and environmentally responsible developments that benefits both residents and the surrounding ecosystem,” Dr Ayiku added.
He further underscored the need for the public to be sensitised occasionally on the negative effects of pollution and adopt environmentally friendly practices to reduce pollution in their daily lives.
By educating individuals about the sources and prevention of pollution, he mentioned that people would begin to take proactive steps to minimise pollution by reducing the use of harmful chemicals, practicing proper waste disposal and promoting sustainable practices in industries and households.
According to Dr Ayiku, it was very important for children to be taught about the significance of environmental protection to instill a long-term mindset that emphasises the significance of preserving and caring for the environment for future generations in them.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG