The Chief of Kamahego, Naa Eresong Chiereh has expressed appreciation to the powers that be for the construction of a dugout for his community under the Sustainable Land and Water Management (SLWM) Project.
He said the facility will greatly help the people to eke out a living but asked that the road to Kamahego to be ungraded to facilitate movement.
Naa Chiereh was speaking during a visit to his community by a delegation as part of the events to mark the 2019, World day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCDD).
GBCs Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo reports that the delegation was made up of members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Science, Technology, Board members of the Environmental Protection Council (EPA) and the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs. Patricia Appiagyei.
The Youth leader of Kamahego, Martin Yeriwuo who reiterated the sentiment of the Chief pointed out that the dugout will prevent them from resorting to small-scale mining in the dry season.
At the dugout site at Kamahego, the Chief, Naa Chiereh and the youth leader, Mr. Yeriwuo were very enthused about the visit to the community by a high powered delegation from Parliament, EPA and MESTI.
The members of the delegation gave a helping to the residents in planting Vetiver grass on the earthen embankment of dugout.
The grass will help to stabilize the soil and protect it against erosion.
Addressing a durbar at Jollinyiri to mark the 2019, World day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCDD), the Deputy Minister for of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation (MESTI) and Member of Parliament, (MP), for Asokwa, Mrs. Patricia Appiagyei hammered home the necessity for communities to give the fullest support to SLWM Project in order to reap its associated benefits.
She indicated that the 2019, WDCDD marked the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, (UNCCD) and entreated all of us to roll up our sleeves in preventing land degradation and desertification which is a top priority of government and the country as a whole.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Science, Technology, Yaw Frimpong Addo was excited about the combination of traditional and scientific knowledge in the implementation of the SLWM Project.
He said the enthusiasm of the people in the project communities is a key factor in sustaining the initiative and hoped that the energy level of the people would be up-scaled or at worst maintained.
The Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Science, Technology, Robert Kwasi Amoah, a board member of EPA who doubled as the Acting Chairman of the EPA Board, Franklin Ashiadey, the Member of Parliament, (MP), for Amasaman, Nii Okai Laryea, and Kofi Adusei were some of the officials on the trip to SLWM project sites Kamahego, Selle and the mini durbar at Jollinyiri to mark the WDCDD.
There was preview of a documentary on Sustainable Land and Water Management Project in Wa prior to the field visits.
The celebration of the occasion was themed Improving Resilience of Our Communities Livelihoods through Sustainable Management Practices while the celebration of the Day was anchored on the slogan Land Degradation Neutrality: The Surest Pathway to our Future and Livelihoods.
The day is marked to raise awareness of the presence of desertification and drought, highlighting methods of preventing desertification and recovering from drought through individual and communal efforts.
Story by Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
