480 billion cedis of timber lost through bushfires

Ghana lost more than four billion cubic metres of timber valued at about 480 billion cedis for the past decade through bushfires, Mr Atta Owusu, Ashanti Regional Manager of the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission, has said.

He noted that bushfires was now the most serious threat to sustainable forest management in the country, adding that, it was severely impeding and frustrating efforts at regenerating the forest.

Mr Owusu was speaking at the inauguration of the Regional Wildfire Prevention and Control Committee under the Ghana Government/Netherlands joint funded Wildlife Management Project at Kumawu in the Sekyere East District on Friday.

The committee draws its membership from the Forestry Commission, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), the Military, Police, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Meteorological Services Department (MSD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

The rest are the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Regional House of Chiefs and the Information Services Department (ISD).

Mr Owusu pointed out that 400,000 hectares of the total reserved area in Ashanti had been degraded mainly by wildfires, logging, chainsaw activities and agricultural encroachment.

This represents about 25 percent of the region's reserved area.

The FSD Regional Manager therefore, described the launch of the project as a "welcome news" and encouraged fire volunteer squads and all people in the region to get actively involved to ensure its success.

Mr William Halm, the Regional Fire Officer, called for a second look at the country's Bushfire Prevention and Control Law of 1990, which he said, had become ineffective.

He observed that penalties imposed under the law on offenders were ridiculous while some aspects were not in tune with current realities.

The Regional Fire Officer cited a clause in the law that enjoins people who see others setting bushfires to report such offenders to the People's Defence Committees (PDCs), arguing that, since those committees no longer existed, the maintenance of that particular clause was unnecessary.

Oheneba Amponsah Agyeman, the project Co-ordinator, said it was operating in the transitional zones of Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo and the Eastern regions.

The project is designed to implement effective fire detection and communication systems, provide incentive packages to communities that reduce the incidence of bushfires, strengthen the capacity of forest fringe communities to fight bushfires, training of fire volunteer squads, establish firebreaks and intensification of public awareness programmes on fire prevention.

Barima Asumadu Sakyi II, Omanhene of Kumawu Traditional Area, said checking wildfires should be the collective responsibility of all.

Incentive packages valued at 20.5 million cedis were presented to fire volunteer squads from Offinso, Kumawu and Juaso.

The volunteers received cutlasses, Wellington boots and flashlights.