“Deforestation and forest degradation are some of the greatest challenges to sustainable and climate-resilient development around the world. These phenomena contribute to climate change, which has dire consequences for our livelihoods and well-being. We must counter the impacts of deforestation and forest degradation—there is no time to waste in restoring our country’s forests and making our cities greener. We do not have tomorrow; we must act now.”
The twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi is in an evergreen forest ecological zone in Ghana. The city has great potential to be at the forefront of championing the Cities4Forests initiative to enhance sustainable livelihoods and forest management. The city has launched “Greening the Twin City”, a program to make Sekondi-Takoradi a greener city and to protect and preserve its environment for future generations. The program has already successfully implemented the “One Child, One Tree” and “Space for Active Mobility” initiatives. Sekondi-Takoradi is also working in collaboration with Goshen Global Vision (GGV) to plant and grow over 5,700 seedlings of seven species of trees and shrubs. An additional 8,000 trees have been planted under the “Green Ghana” campaign, launched in June 2021. While the city’s main challenge is to restore vegetation cover, Sekondi-Takoradi is also focused on continuing to educate its residents about the importance of preventing illegal deforestation to realize a sustainable urban forest. The Municipal Assembly is committed to joining hands with mayors around the world through the Cities4Forests initiative, financial institutions and development partners. These relationships will help cities share resources and make Sekondi-Takoradi a greener twin city.
