For more information, please contact: John-Rob Pool 
Accra, the capital city of Ghana, has a population of approximately 4 million people. The city is situated on the Gulf of Guinea and it is the only West African city in the Cities4Forests initiative. Most of the city’s residents live in high-density housing, which limits the number of trees allowed on their properties. However, trees and vegetation are culturally important to the residents of Accra, and they play an important role in Ghana more broadly by providing shade, food, wildlife habitat, and protection from severe rainfall events and flooding. Accra is known for its fruit-bearing trees (especially mangos, palm nut, and paw-paw), and it also has a number of coconuts, kola nut, and palm trees. The parks inside of Accra and the forests nearby are managed by Ghana’s Department of Parks and Gardens. As in many parts of the world and as with many other growing cities, urban expansion is threatening some of Accra’s nearby forests.
Accra’s participation in Cities4Forests shows that the city recognizes the value of trees and green infrastructure in the city and that the city administration is committed to ensuring that all of its residents are able to enjoy the suite of benefits that trees provide.
STORY
Delta Ecosystem Must Be Protected
The Densu Delta Protected Area is located 11 km west of Accra, Ghana, and covers 5,893 hectares with an open lagoon, salt pans, freshwater marsh, and sand dunes. Once in a while, the chief priest closes the lagoon to public activity to perform purification rituals, which, along with long-established local fishing practices, alleviate the pressure on the natural resources of the Densu Delta. The delta sustains an annual fish yield of 270 tonnes and supports large-scale commercial salt mining, arable agriculture, and water supply. However, this area is urbanizing rapidly, with uncontrolled and unauthorized housing development, resulting in the destruction of woody vegetation cover and the loss of the floodplain and marshlands. “We need nature and not the other way round. When we mismanage our environment, we will suffer the consequences,” said the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena, who is working with traditional leaders and other stakeholders to save the Densu Delta. These valuable ecosystems that support Accra and its residents must be protected.