Hohoe Municipal Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Hilarius Kofi Gockel, has said the Organisation was embarking on a tree planting exercise throughout the Municipality to protect life and property.

He said the exercise was initiated to tackle emerging climate issues including; wind and rainstorms which were experienced earlier this year in the Municipality and to prevent their reoccurrence.

“It is about climate changes. Earlier this year, we experienced wind and rainstorms which ripped up a lot of buildings including; schools in the Municipality and this has actually prompted us to safeguard the environments by planting trees to serve as windbreaks.”

Mr Gockel speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), disclosed that the Organisation had started planting trees in some communities and would replicate such in all communities especially in schools.

He said plans were advanced to monitor the maintenance and growth of the planted trees adding that “we also plan to award communities that will take good care of the trees planted.”

Mr Gockel said NADMO would also increase the number of “Disaster Volunteer Clubs” in schools as well as engage in more community education on the importance and benefits of tree planting.

“My expectation is that the communities will have to welcome the initiative and understand that the climate is changing and there was the need to approach the changes to save the environment and protect property,” he added.

Madam Irene Akrobo, Hohoe Municipal Parks and Gardens Officer, urged organisations and individuals to develop the attitude of planting trees which had a lot of benefits including; medicinal benefits.

She said there was the need for continuous care for trees when planted by watering, fencing and pruning to give them the needed shape.

Charles Sugah, Assembly-man for the Alavanyo Kpeme Electoral Area told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), that he would make sure the trees were taken care of by regular watering to ensure that they grew to serve their intended purposes.

He called on community members to see the trees as theirs and ensure their growth to beatify the community and be of medicinal value to them.

Marvelous Lamptey-Tetteh, a Tutor, Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) Technical Vocational Institute in Alavanyo, commended the Organisation for the initiative adding that the trees would not only provide shade when they grow but facelift and beautify the school environment.

He said the school was susceptible to rainstorms which had affected school structures including; dormitories for students.

The Organisation has planted 500 nursed trees made up of acacia terminalia catappa (Indian almond tree), bauhinia monandra and politia longiflorum varieties in some communities within the Municipality.