‘Preserving cultural heritage could help in climate change adaptation’
The government, organisations, and independent practitioners have been urged to adopt traditional practices to complement modern environmental measures, to improve environmental conservation and offset the effects of climate change.
Augustin Komla Lemboe, 74, the Stool Father for Likpe Todome, in the Guan District of Oti Region, who made the call, noted that the enforcement of taboos, especially in the rural communities, still remains effective way of protecting the environment, cultural values and historical heritage.
The stool father was speaking to journalists on Monday after the Accelerated Rural Development Organisation (ARDO), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), accompanied journalists and researchers to the Karboko ancestral caves and the Wajakli Falls, in Likpe Todome, in the Guan District of the Oti Region.
Mr Lemboe said that the caves, apart from being the ancestral home of the people of Todome, form part of a larger ecosystem, including homes for wildlife and provided resources such as plants and water for the indigenes. Aware of this, the people of Todome have made efforts to preserve the forests and landscapes, he added.
He, therefore, called for the preservation of the caves and water bodies for ecotourism as a way to bring socio-economic development to Likpe Todome.
Mr Lemboe cautioned the people against the setting of bushfires, indiscriminate felling of trees, and farming close to streams, caves, waterfalls, and rivers, which degraded the environment.
He added that the caves are a historical heritage, as the people believed their ancestors hid and thrived in them during times of migration and inter-tribal conflicts.
Mr Lemboe, who is also a retired educationist, said the people consider the caves as sacred places, where their ancestors traced their origin and that tourists visiting the caves would learn more about the history and struggles of the Likpe Guans while also appreciating how preserving cultural heritage helps in climate change adaptation.
He explained: “We are three communities — Todome, Bakwa, and Yekpah. Yekpah is now in Togo. Our forefathers dwelled in the caves. We invite tourists to visit the Likpe caves to learn more about the history of our ancestors and the importance of environmental conservation.”
Mr Lemboe appealed to the Ministry of Lands and Forestry and security agencies to learn how the people of Todome use their cultural heritage to conserve the environment and strictly enforce laws on environmental degradation, particularly illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He also called for stronger environmental laws to deter deforestation and the destruction of critical natural resources.
Mr Pascal Benson Atiglah, the Executive Director of ARDO, said his outfit was seeking the preservation of the caves, water bodies, and forests in Likpe to offset climate change effects, a project, which was being funded by the New England Biolabs Foundation-USA.
He said the NGO would ensure the caves in Likpe remain relevant natural resources because of their unique attractiveness, history, and ecosystem.
Mr Atiglah noted that: “caves in general play key roles in groundwater movement and enhance ecosystem”, and called for intensification of efforts to conserve such natural features through traditional values and practices.
He said: “Our focus is on the Akwapim Togo Atakora mountain range, to mainly reduce carbon emission. The Guan District has Mountain Karboko, with six caves, where the people of Likpe are known to have lived during the olden times.”
However, Mr Atiglah expressed worry that part of the landscape is being degraded, and asked the people to be mindful of practices that could further degrade the environment, and rather plant trees and preserve the caves to promote ecotourism.
