Busua (W/R), Dec. 17, GNA - A three-day workshop on the establishment of Natural Resource Conservation Departments at Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) opened on Thursday at Busua in the Ahanta West District. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development organised the function, which was attended by officials from the Ministry itself, the Ministry of Environment and Lands and Natural Resources and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

In an address read for him, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Regional Minister, said the establishment of the Natural Resource Conservation Departments were among other things that the MMDAs must do according to the Local Government Law. He said the departments would see to the development, improvement and management of human settlements and the environment.

The objective, he said, is to promote and ensure a participatory approach, where local people would be involve in the management of forestry and wildlife, combat desertification through re-afforestation, protect hill slopes and catchments of water bodies and regulate hunting and trade in wildlife resources.

Mr Aidoo said the departments ought to be established to promote sustainable development of the natural resources conservation and environmental management. He said the assemblies have a central role to play in environmental protection and biodiversity conservation to maintain and protect water bodies, prevent erosion and sustain environmental quality.

Mr Henry Ford Kamel, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, said government was preparing a land policy and noted that lack of it had led to misuse of land and natural resources particularly at the district level. Mr Kamel said people had acquired large tract of land but had not developed them and noted that the situation was worse in the mineral sector where there was excessive degradation of land. He said a land policy would maximise land use and ensure sustainable land use.

Mr Kamel said the responsibility of the Natural Resource Conservation Department should be clearly spelt out to avoid overlapping of functions of other agencies engaged in land, natural resources sectors.