Traditional leaders in the Upper East Region have been called on to use their traditional authority to protect the environment as it was the only thing that could help promote human existence.

Naba David Suguru Abugbabilla, the newly en-skinned Chief of Zongoyire in the Bawku West Traditional area in the Upper East Region noted that environmental degradation in the Region was a major threat to human existence as tree felling, animal grazing and bush fires had been going on without check.

Naba Abugbabilla made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday, at Zongoyire after he was en-skinned as a Sub-Chief by the paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional area, Naba Asigri Azoka Abugrago II.

He said poor waste management including waste control, poor drainage system and open defecation in the Region needed the attention of all and urged the municipal and district assemblies in the Region to focus on those issues so as to prevent some diseases from breaking out and spreading.

Naba Abugbabilla, known in private life as Mr David Akparibo, an accountant with the Ghana Cocoa Board, said his en-skinment was a timely one that would help him lobby with development partners to assist him to stop the mass destruction of land in his traditional area by illegal gold miners.

He expressed concern that about 60 per cent of the vegetation cover, including farm lands in his traditional area had been destroyed by the illegal miners and that had brought much hardship to many families whose sources of livelihood were destroyed.

He said the communities were trying to engage the security services to drive away the illegal miners and to form a task force to deal with issues of the environment in the area.