‘Rain rain go away’
There is children’s rhyme that goes “rain, rain, go away.
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Come again another day, little children want to play…etc”.
This is usually recited anytime the clouds gather as an indication of imminent rainfall.
Children they are, because they are oblivious to the advantages of rain, and hence, their rhyme, ostensibly to avert it, so that they can play all day long.
If children knew the advantages of rain to the overall well-being of humankind, they would not devalue it for play.
Of course, this is not to say that rain does not have disadvantages, except that its advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
For some time now, rainfall patterns have changed globally.
Scientists and environmentalists ascribe this trend or phenomenon to global warming.
This is all as a result of the inefficient manner we have all handled the environment within which we live.
Rains
In Ghana, those living particularly in big towns and cities behave like children, always wishing that the rains would not come down.
That is because even the slightest drizzle leaves in its trail devastating consequences, disturbing all.
In the past, it was only when there was heavy rainfall that devastating impacts, such as, crop damage, flooding, road blockade resulting from landslides, etc., occurred.
Of course, globalisation and over population accounts for the global warming that has been the bellow of current generations.
The slightest rainfall in Ghana now is causing havoc, with lives lost by drowning and other catastrophic results like landslides, and damaged property, including national major infrastructure like roads with potholes.
Silt from the floods also leaves sand on roads for days, causing heavy traffic for commuters and the attendant loss of productive hours.
As a people, we are accountable for most of the challenges faced, although we always blame the government, which includes all of us; without the subjects the government equation is incomplete.
Why should one not be concerned if a neighbour or anybody at all puts garbage into the gutter to be washed away by the rains, or on the streets or anywhere inappropriate?
Increased population growth demands planning, but there is a lack of proper planning, which has resulted in current experiences when it rains and places flood.
It is rational that silt on the roads after rains, is collected.
In our case, tax paying subjects are rather left to suffer the consequences of the silt on their vehicles.
Trees
The indiscriminate felling of trees, for instance, must be stopped.
Trees have benefits and impact our very survival!
In fact, apart from providing shade to avert erosion, trees, through the process of feeding themselves, produce some of the needed oxygen required by humans.
I remember reading a long time ago that an acre of planted trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people, while trees and rainforest together are said to contribute about 28 per cent of the earth’s oxygen.
The rest of the oxygen required for our survival is produced from plants in the oceans.
Thus, we need to preserve them.
What if we asked the rains to go away?
Living would be beastly, in fact, there would be no life at all.
We need the rains, however, as humans we must ensure that our activities are beneficial to the environment.
We must plant more trees in our communities, homes and along our highways and byways.
If this is not complemented with discreet planning and the collaboration of all, we would always be saddled by such challenges.
The writer is Legal Manager/Company Secretary,
Graphic Comm. Group Ltd., Accra.
E-mail: [email protected]
