Protecting Natural Resources: Engagement of young people is Critical- Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene

 

 

Story by: Ishmael Barfi

 

As a country, according to Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene, a lecturer at the department of Marines & Fisheries Sciences at the University of Ghana, young people should be at the center of protecting the natural resources and environment, hence safeguarding the future of the natural resources and environment.

This he said is of great importance explaining that a forest that has no young trees has no future adding “If we do not inculcate environmental responsibility in our youth now, they will grow to be leaders who don’t care about the environment”.

To him, since the younger generation will be taking over from the older generation to continue the fight, empowering them should be the nation’s priority, hence the National Youth Conference on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance is timely.

“Some of us are old, we will die and go but it is the youth that is going to take on the fight after we have gone, and that is why we need to give them the knowledge now, the skills now for us the older generation to be at the back whiles the young people will be at the forefront with guidance from us so that we can push them to the level where they can comfortably feel like they can also manage the resource of the country”, he asserted.

Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene made this passionate call at the official launch of the National Youth Conference 2023 on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance in Accra, Ghana slated for 27^th April 2023.

The 1^st National Youth Conference 2023 on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance aims to provide a space for young people to showcase their environmental actions including green businesses as well as deepen the partnership and enhance synergies between young advocates and other key State and non-State actors towards the attainment of Ghana’s commitment to the  Africa Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concerning Environmental Sustainability.

Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene believes that the youth have the energy, they have skills, and knowledge as well as the strength to learn since they are the ones learning all the technologies that are coming up.

These technologies he noted are needed to protect our natural resources and environment and to that effect, believes that young people have a key role to play in the nation’s natural resource conservation.

To achieve the above, he pleaded that, as a country, we should not put any hindrances in the way of young people but should rather empower them.

“I mean, when you go to international conferences, you will see the youth pioneering the agenda of their country, that should be the story of Ghana, and I see a new Ghana, where the young people are given the opportunity on a national platform to influence policies and also to influence the actions of government.

The lecturer at the Department of Marine & Fisheries Sciences therefore appealed to young people to understand that, no opportunity can come when they are not available stressing that, “if you are not in the right place, or you don’t have the right mindset or skills, the opportunity will pass you by”.

Adding that, “Young people should be learning all the time, you can’t give what you don’t have and that is why they need to acquire the knowledge that is needed to protect our natural resources and environment as well as should also have the passion”.

“You should have the passion for something so that you can do it freely without much support because when you have the passion for something, you can stand up and say I am doing this even though there is no reward for it”, he admonished.

The National Youth Conference on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance to him is a unique platform for young children to deal with the youth who have a passion to protect natural resources and the environment.

And these he noted are key elements that will help them in their fight against the degradations as a country we are experiencing.

Meanwhile, to safeguard the numerous natural resources and the environment in the country, Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene called upon relevant state institutions to enforce the numerous laws that aim to protect natural resources and the environment.

According to him, Ghana has so many beautiful laws that, when they are enforced, the country’s natural resources and environment will be very wonderful, thus restoration to its former glory.

However, to ensure this, a strong institution he noted is needed adding “We cannot enforce the laws without strong institutions, institutions that are free of political intimidation, institutions that are free of Pull Me Down Syndrome”.

Therefore, “the need to make our institutions empowered in such a way that they can enforce these laws without fear or favor and when done, our natural resources and environment will be in a good shape once again.

The distraction of the natural resources and environment is a result of human activity such as cutting down of trees in the forest, harvesting of mangroves in water bodies without replacing them, engagement in illegal mining destroying fertile land, and polluting water bodies that serve as a source of water for communities among other activities.

The above he noted is a result of the desire to increase the economic benefits deprived of these resources to social ones, hence putting pressure on the resources due to the increasing population.

And this he reiterated is seriously driving ecosystem degradation, thus endangering the livelihood of mankind and species of plants and animals in the forest and water bodies.

But was quick to indicate that, “livelihoods can come in two-fold, we introducing new ones that are compatible with the area and also in a sustainable way environmentally friendly and then also enhancing the existing livelihoods that are in the area”.

Apart from enforcing the laws, Dr. Agyekumhene acknowledged the need for continuous awareness in our numerous communities on the importance of protecting our forests, water bodies, and fertile lands from being destroyed.

“Awareness is very important because we need to change the attitudes of the people. We can only do that if we make them aware of the negative impacts of their activities, but more so, making them aware of the benefits that they derive from these resources, which when their resources are taken away, will cease to exist, “he asserted.

To anchor the call of Miss Gifty Agbenyefia, lead for Biodiversity at SYND during a panel discussion lamented how residents in the coastal communities are destroying the numerous ecosystem in their communities.

“The rate at which our communities are killing species such as sea turtles is alarming and worrying, and to say, their actions are intentional, hence there is a need to punish people who destroy our ecosystem”, she emphasized.

She, therefore used the platform to passionately appeal to the general public especially those in the coastal areas to support the government and other stakeholders’ efforts of restoring and safeguarding the numerous natural resources and environment, hence the ecosystem.

Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com