The Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) has been launched at the ongoing National Landscaping Forum taking place in Accra under the auspices of the World Bank and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in partnership with Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.
In a welcome address, the Program Lead at World Bank Ghana Office, Madam Naila Ahmed explained that the NCA helps in measuring and valuing the economic contribution of natural resources and ecosystems of a particular country.
She added that the value of the natural resources and ecosystems of a country is what is integrated into the Natural Accounts to promoting sustainable development and informed decision-making.
Madam Ahmed emphasized that the World Bank through its Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) and with Partnership with the Global Program on Sustainability (GPS), supports countries such as Ghana in implementing Natural Capital Accounting for the realization of the aforementioned objective.
The World Bank Program Lead further indicated that the NCA has been used by the World Bank to provide countries with solid, standardized metrics on natural capital, enabling better-informed decisions on policy and investments, particularly concerning climate change, nature protection, and sustainable development.
She therefore called on government to leverage on the NCA due to its immense benefits to the state.
On his part, The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Hon. Yusif Alhassan, touching on the Landscaping Forum, affirmed that the ongoing Forum will help address the destruction of our Natural resources caused by illegal mining popularly called galamsey.
He emphasized that galamsey continues to threaten government’s quest to achieve an inclusive and sustainable growth for it’s natural resources.
He said as a Ministry, safeguarding Ghana’s environment and natural resources is a priority hence the implementation of a 5 pronged Strategy to help protect Ghana’s natural resources.
Some of the strategy he said includes reforms on the issuance of licensing to small scale miners whilst strengthening of enforcement within the small scale mining space.
Others are enhancing stakeholder engagement, providing alternative livelihood of the people and finally restoring or reclaiming the degraded lands and forest.
“Ghana’s forests, minerals, and water bodies are under siege. Deforestation, degradation, pollution, and climate change threaten not just our ecosystems but our very livelihoods. Illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), in particular, has reached crisis levels, stripping our land of biodiversity, poisoning our rivers, and endangering public health.
We are seeing communities where once-lush forests have been reduced to barren pits, and rivers that once provided drinking water now ran brown with toxic sediments. The devastation is not just environmental—it is a blow to our food security and well-being. This is the reality we must confront!”, he emphasized.
Hon. Alhassan also revealed that the Ministry has implemented some initiatives such as the Blue Water Initiative and Tree for Life, all geared towards ensuring the sustainability of our natural resources.
He also expressed the commitment of government and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to intensify the fight against activities that destroy our natural resources.
“The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is resolute in ensuring that our natural resources are managed sustainably—balancing economic needs with ecological preservation”, the Deputy Minister stressed.
The MP for Bongo later commended the World Bank for funding such a Forum, calling on the Participants to prioritize the Forum since it offers bold and practical solutions to our natural resources challenges.
source:www.senaradioonline.com
