Across Africa and especially in Ghana, wildlife remains one of the most undervalued treasures of our ecosystem. Many people are unaware that the animals roaming our forests and savannahs are not just sources of meat, but guardians of ecological balance. Sadly, this lack of awareness has fueled destructive practices such as indiscriminate bush burning, hunting down pregnant animals, and even poisoning wildlife as a way of trapping them for meat. These acts not only threaten animal species; they endanger human survival.
In the northern part of Ghana, bushfires have become a disturbing annual ritual. What may seem like a simple act of clearing land or hunting has devastating consequences. Bushfires scorch fertile vegetation, destroy wildlife habitats, and wipe out entire ecosystems that take decades to recover.
The trend contributes significantly to climate change by releasing large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and accelerating land degradation. The result is severe drought, something farmers in northern Ghana continue to battle year after year.
The recent prolonged drought, which has crippled farmlands and destroyed livelihoods, is a painful reminder that the environment is responding to the harm humans inflict on it. When we burn the bush, we are literally burning our own future.
It is time for stronger intervention. The Game and Wildlife Division must intensify its monitoring efforts and step up public education. Hunters, farmers, and community members need consistent sensitisation on the irreplaceable role of wildlife in maintaining ecological balance. Animals help with seed dispersal, soil fertility, pest control, and climate regulation. Without them, the natural systems that support farming and human life will collapse.
The Forestry Commission also has a central role to play. Education campaigns must be sustained—not seasonal. Farmers must clearly understand that bushfires do not help them; they hurt them. The droughts sweeping across the northern regions are not accidents—they are consequences of human actions. Burning the bush destroys the very resources that farmers depend on for survival: fertile soils, water bodies, and vegetation cover.
Protecting Ghana’s environment is not the job of one agency. It is the responsibility of chiefs, teachers, politicians, community leaders, farmers, and every citizen. Our survival depends on our environment. If we destroy it, we destroy ourselves.
This is the time to embrace sustainable farming practices, respect wildlife, and protect the natural heritage passed down to us by our ancestors. Let us choose life by choosing to protect the environment.
The future of Ghana’s food security, climate stability, and biodiversity depends on the decisions we make today. Let us act now—before the land we love becomes barren beyond repair.
The writer is a Director of Disong EcoFarmers Network Ghana, a local NGO in the Nadowli-Kaleo District that supports farmers through sustainable agriculture and environmental education.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!