Bright Manso Howard, Volta Regional Manager, Forest Service Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission has said effective June 2021, a total of 200,000 trees will be planted and nurtured across the region.

He said the initiative formed part of the Green Ghana Programme, which targeted 5,000,000 trees to be planted all over the country.

Mr Howard told Ghana News Agency (GNA) the 200,000 seedlings would be distributed to Municipal and District Assemblies, traditional authorities, schools, non-governmental organizations among others.

This is to make the exercise successful and ensure that every part of the region is covered, he said, urging all to endeavour to take part in the activity when it finally gets started.

Mr Howard said trees are a unique creation of God that played an important role in the existence of mankind and must therefore be properly taken care of.

Trees are an integral part of the ecosystem and human and other organisms depend on them to survive, he stated, calling for protection of the country's vegetation cover against destruction.

According to Global Forest Watch, between 2001 and 2020, Ghana lost 1.31Mha of tree cover, an equivalent to a 19 per cent decrease in tree cover since 2000, and 347Mt of CO2 emissions.

He underscored the importance of trees in providing mankind with oxygen, food as well as beautifying the environment and serving as windbreaks.

The Manager entreated the public to avoid indiscriminate felling of trees, adding that mankind was bound to suffer if such activity continues.

He called for active participation of all in the Green Ghana Programme to ensure its success.