Accra, Feb. 24, GNA - The Department of Ecological Studies at Valley View University (VVU) received a boost with the inauguration of a 1.3 million-euro Baobab Centre.

The centre named after the only surviving baobab tree on the campus of VVU, was financed by the German Government and would be provided with facilities for improved academic and research programmes.

Ms. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology inaugurating the centre commended the initiative that would immortalise the idea of climate friendliness for the university and its environs. She blamed the increasing pressure on the ecosystem on most human activities which had negative effect on health and general wellbeing. "The most obvious is through increased number and severity of weather related disasters which destroy homes and habitats forcing people to seek shelter or livelihood elsewhere," she said.

Ms. Ayittey said about 350 million people could be considered displaced, with the cause of an estimated 26 million out of the 350 million people being blamed on climate change.

She intimated that government was embarking on a policy that would accelerate the use of local raw materials in the building and construction industry to improve the environment.

This policy, Ms. Ayittey said would encourage the use of less species of timber in order not to deplete the forest and the extinction of the more popular wawa, odum and mahogany.

"Additionally government is reviewing the Minerals and Mining Act 703 of 2006 which requires strict adherence of companies in the extractive industry on environmental issues," she said.

Dr. Seth Laryea, President of VVU, said the university had launched another initiative to undertake the planting of about 5,000 tree seedlings on the campus and construct a rain harvesting and processing systems. Mr. Hans Christian Winkler, Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy, called for the introduction of programmes in ecology to make the centre more beneficial to the university. 24 Feb. 10