The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, warned the public on Friday against indiscriminate tree cutting.
She said that such acts slowed collaborative work to restore damaged areas across the country.
Ms Ayorkor Botchway advocated for the youth to be taught the importance of planting and caring for trees, as well as the advantages that come with it, in order to help Ghana's forests grow.
"Planting trees will collect carbon dioxide to prevent temperature increases, nourish damaged areas, and replenish groundwater tables," she remarked during a ceremony commemorating Green Ghana Day, when she planted cocoa (nkosuo tree) seedlings.
The celebration took place in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where directors and personnel gathered to commemorate the occasion.
The Green Ghana program, which began in 2021 and aims to plant over five million trees to conserve and safeguard the country's forest cover and the environment in general, was started last year.
This year's topic for the annual event is "Mobilizing for a Greener Future."
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo launched the 2022 edition of Green Ghana Day at the Accra International Conference Centre.
It is projected that 20 million trees of various varieties would be planted around the country.
Ms Ayorkor Botchway, who spoke at today's tree-planting ceremony, emphasized the need of restoring the country's lost forest cover. "It is critical to revers the trend and restore our forest resources to their natural form as much as possible. We don't have till tomorrow or the next day to do this task. "We have to act right now," she remarked.
The Minister stated that the Ministry was planting trees at its headquarters and related institutes such as the Foreign Service Institute, Adu Lodge, and all Passport Application Centres to demonstrate its support to the national project.
"As part of our commitment, the ministry will annually adopt an area specified by the ministry of land and natural resources to plant trees.
"Tree seedlings will be supplied to ministry officers to plant in their homes, farms, and neighborhoods," she said. Ms. Ayorkor Botchway stated that the government was committed to ensuring that the 20 million trees planted will survive.
She praised the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for putting on the event, which she called "appropriate and opportune."
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