Thursday said most government policies in the past had had
implementation problems due to inadequate consultations with relevant
stakeholders during their formulation stages.
He said such policies consequently were seen as an imposition on
the people and therefore did not engender the requisite support and
collaboration expected from the people.Mr Dzamesi was speaking at the
launch of National Wildfire Management Policy for the southern sector
in Ho.
He said significant efforts had been made in the past to address
issues on wildfires but with little success due to lack of appropriate
consultations.This resulted in the annual wildfires that continued to
pose serious threat to resource management and agricultural production
in the country.
Mr Dzamesi said 30 percent of the country's total land area
mainly in the High Forest and Transition zone and 90 percent in the
Dry Northern Savannah zones respectively were prone to wildfire
annually.
The Minister said the situation might be more serious in the Volta Region.
"The beginning of this year in particular has seen much
destruction through wildfires in the Volta Region. Trees planted along
the roads, electric poles and telephone poles have burnt through such
wildfires totalling several millions of cedis in damages", he said.
Mr Dzamesi said the situation therefore required a comprehensive
policy framework to guide wildfire management in the country.
He said the success of the new policy depended on the
collaborative efforts of all key stakeholders and expressed the hope
that the citizenry in the Central, Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta
regions, which make up the southern sector, would own the policy and
ensure its successful implementation.
Mr Oheneba Amponsah Agyemang, Wildfire Project Coordinator, said
the use of fire in the past did not cause any considerable damage to
either the forest or its adjoining farmlands but the situation changed
for the worse between 1982/83 with its destructive consequences.He
said wildfires now threaten the promotion of timber plantation
development, biodiversity, agricultural production and the maintenance
of environmental quality.
He said the National Wildfire Management Policy had therefore come
in order to protect the natural environment from uncontrolled
fires.The 17-page National Wildfire Management Policy's major goal is
to promote effective and efficient management of wildfires.
29 March 07
