Restoring the Ecosystem: Reflections from BiM-NECS 2

Strategic Insights -

The 2nd Biennial Media Forum on Natural Resources, Environment, Climate Change and Science (BiM-NECS 2) in Kumasi, Ghana, brought together journalists, public officials, scientists, and civil society actors to discuss the future of ecosystem restoration. With a focus on policy and people, the forum emphasized the need for integrated action to address the pressures on Ghana's forests, wetlands, and grasslands. Professor Mercy Adutwumwaa Derkyi highlighted the importance of leveraging innovations in ecological science and balancing scientific knowledge with traditional ecological knowledge to inform evidence-based interventions.

Key Takeaways:

  • Professor Mercy Adutwumwaa Derkyi called for a strong political will and genuine grassroots involvement to overcome structural challenges in ecosystem restoration, citing the need for a clear definition of restoration goals, assessment of ecosystem recoverability, and making a choice between natural regeneration and assisted restoration.
  • The Director, Quality Assurance and Academic Planning Directorate of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, emphasized the importance of balancing scientific knowledge with traditional ecological knowledge in crafting sustainable and inclusive restoration strategies.
  • Key initiatives mentioned include the Bonn Challenge, the National Reforestation Programme, Green Ghana, and Tree for Life, which involve state and non-state actors in ecosystem restoration efforts.
  • The BiM-NECS 2 Kumasi Declaration outlined 12 action points, including elevating ecosystem restoration as a national and regional media priority through an annual media campaign aligned with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
  • The Chairperson, Afua Serwaa Akoto Prempeh, highlighted the importance of inclusivity, urging the media to ensure that marginalized voices are not left out of the conversation on environmental issues.
  • The Ashanti Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Dr. Jackson Nyantakyi, presented highlights of the newly enacted Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124), which addresses gaps in the previous act, including weak sanctions and poor inter-agency coordination on environmentally related matters.

Statistics:

  • An estimated $2 billion annually is needed to respond to climate impacts in Ghana.
  • Nearly one in five Ghanaian youth born in the north reside in the south due to climate variability.
  • The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has researched the high climate vulnerability hotspot in northern Ghana, where youth migration is a popular phenomenon.
  • Ghana's National Reforestation Programme aims to restore 9 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
  • The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration runs from 2021 to 2030, with a goal to restore 150 million hectares of degraded land worldwide.

Sources:

  • Professor Mercy Adutwumwaa Derkyi, Director, Quality Assurance and Academic Planning Directorate, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani
  • Afua Serwaa Akoto Prempeh, Principal Project Manager, Proforest African Regional Office, Accra
  • Dr. Jackson Nyantakyi, Ashanti Regional Director, Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
  • The International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
  • The University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani
  • The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
  • The Business and Financial Times
  • The Afro-Sino Centre of International Relations (ASCIR)
  • The Steminist Foundation Ghana
  • The Media Platform on Environment and Climate Change (MPEC)
  • Proforest
  • Tropenbos Ghana