The Department of Community Development has officially launched its nationwide “Green Community Development Initiative”, kicking off the Ashanti regional phase with a ceremonial tree-planting exercise at the Asokwa Interchange and Dompase.
The ambitious national campaign, executed under the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, aims to plant one million trees nationwide to foster climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable communities.
In collaboration with the Asokwa Municipal Assembly, local operations began with Municipal Chief Executive Hon Amoh Kamel pledging the assembly’s full resources to ensure the long-term survival of the new saplings.
Mr Kamel emphasised the critical need for strict monitoring and urged residents to serve as watchdogs to safeguard the project’s environmental goals.
While the national target focuses on planting 70 trees in one selected community within each district across all 16 regions, the current regional plan has designated an initial 500 trees for planting across the Ashanti region.
Operations are expected to expand nationwide as more seedlings become available.
Mr Samuel Blebu, Deputy National Director for the Department of Community Development, highlighted that the initiative is designed to complement the Forestry Commission’s annual tree-planting efforts.
Unlike typical single-day planting campaigns, he explained that this programme is structured as a continuous, year-round strategy integrated into the nation’s broader afforestation plans.
Mr Blebu highlighted that the initiative is being implemented in close partnership with both the Forestry Commission and the Department of Parks and Gardens.
He called on beneficiary communities to establish dedicated oversight committees responsible for the daily care, protection, and maintenance of the trees.