“Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality (EKMA) is the ‘food basket’ of Sekondi-Takoradi. The loss of forests and urban green spaces threatens our food security and residents’ livelihoods. As such, we are committed to conserving and enhancing vegetation across the municipality to ensure a more sustainable future for all.”
—Hon. Kojo Acquah, Municipal Chief Executive, Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly, Ghana
Success Story
The Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality (EKMA) was formed out of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, established under the L.I 2322 (2017) and officially inaugurated on March 15th, 2018. The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) of Ghana has classified EKMA to be at very high flood-risk. To mitigate the threats and impacts of flooding, the municipality has initiated programs in partnership with relevant stakeholders to conserve and enhance green spaces. EKMA has also launched tree planting projects to address some of the challenges posed by climate change. To date, the municipality has planted 1,100 seedlings and is determined to plant and grow an additional 5,000 trees by 2022 in schools, churches and parks across the municipality. This investment in green spaces will improve EKMA’s climate, which is particularly important for the municipality’s agricultural sector, which is considered the “food basket” of the metropolis. The Assembly recognizes the negative impacts of environmental destruction on EKMA’s growth and is prepared to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to combat climate change, preserve biodiversity and improve the lives of vulnerable populations, especially women and children.
