The Central Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has intensified climate resilience and environmental education among pupils from some selected schools in the region.
The programme, aimed at encouraging pupils to adopt sound environmental habits, featured tree-planting activities designed to help address climate change.
The initiative formed part of the authority’s efforts to nurture a new generation of environmentally conscious and responsible citizens during activities marking this year’s World Environment Day.
As part of the exercise, the authority last Wednesday embarked on an outreach programme to basic schools in Ajumako-Mando in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District, including Mando Methodist Basic School and Mando D/A Basic School.
Different tree seedlings, including pawpaw, coconut, acacia and mango trees, were presented to the schools for planting to mitigate the effects of climate change, provide fruits to the pupils in the school, as well as provide shade and help reduce temperatures.
Accordingly, EPA-branded souvenirs were also presented to pupils who correctly answered questions during an open quiz held as part of the programme.
The acting Central Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Dr Daniel Nartey, said promoting tree planting and teaching pupils sound environmental habits was essential because “children are the future custodians of the environment”, adding that instilling environmental values early to nurture a generation committed to protecting natural resources was critical.
Why plant tress
Dr Nartey explained that trees absorb carbon dioxide, lower greenhouse-gas concentrations and help mitigate climate change, reasons the authority provided seedlings for pupils to plant.
A Programme Officer at EPA, Abeiku Haneef Forson, warned that shifting rainfall patterns across the country, driven by climate change, made climate awareness among young people especially urgent.
Ambassadors
He urged pupils to act as ambassadors for the EPA’s protection campaign, educating peers about the harms of littering and indiscriminate waste disposal.
“As ambassadors, you should teach your parents to separate household waste—plastic, organic, solid and liquid—and practise the five ‘R’s: Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle and Repurpose,” he said.
The Finance and Administration Officer at the Ajumako District Education Office, Fred Incoom, representing the District Director of Education, reflecting on this year’s World Environment Day theme: “Building a Climate-Resilient Ghana through Responsible Stewardship”, said the theme called on all Ghanaians, including schoolchildren, to take active roles in building resilience through responsible stewardship.
He encouraged the pupils to support the EPA’s initiative, learn the importance of protecting nature, plant trees to help mitigate climate change and become responsible citizens who care for the environment.
