Agona Swedru, July 16, GNA - Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister, has warned that people who degraded the environment would be made to face the full rigors of the law when caught. He urged the public not to hesitate in reporting them to the law enforcing agencies for appropriate sanctions to be taken against them. This was contained in a speech read on his behalf by Nana Ato Arthur, Deputy Central Regional Minister at the Regional celebration of World Environment Day at Agona Swedru.

He gave the assurance that the Regional Coordinating Council, Municipal and District Assemblies would continue to work with other stakeholders to protect environment.

The Regional Minister urged the people to initiate activities relating to land preservation and to check illegal logging. Mr Edumadze stated that the District faced environmental degradation such as indiscriminate logging by chain-saw operators, unplanned waste disposal, indiscriminate defecation around water bodies and other concerns.

He said the government under the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) was deeply engaged in fighting environmental degradation through various development packages for the communities. The Regional Minister noted that the Strategy involved environmental stewardship, economic growth and social development to lift the people out of poverty.

Mr Samuel Obodai, MP for Agona West said the environmental degradation was a global phenomenon, which posed challenges not only to government but individuals, organisations and society as well. He stated that environmental degradation largely stemmed from irresponsible actions of some greedy and selfishness people whose action reduced soil fertility resulting in low food production and poverty. Mr Obodai expressed regrets that people continued defy laid-down building regulations by building structures on watercourses and erected kiosks in open spaces only to turn round to blame institutions. Mr Francis Zakari, Central Regional Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said World Environment Day was instituted in 1987 to draw attention to the wanton destruction of the earth resources and its sustainable management.

He called on the people to plant trees to combat desertification to restore the earth resources, which "suffer as a result of human settlement, human activities and other natural processes". Mr Zakari said the government through the EPA had drawn an Environmental Action Plan and implored the people to play an important role in the management of the environment. Nana Kobina Botwe II, Swedruhene, urged the people to plant trees to serve as windbreak.

He warned people polluting River Akora, which was a source of drinking water for some people in the area. 16 July 05