News
Women’s access to fertile land and information way to combat desertification-UW EPA boss
The Upper West Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Mr Emmanuel Lignule has stressed that expanding women’s access to fertile land and information on sustainable agriculture and land management was one of the ways to combat desertification and drought.
The director noted that women paid attention to detail and would engage in sustainable agriculture if they were given adequate training on the theme and how it would help prevent desertification and promote sustainable land use.
Mr Lignule stated this on Friday when the region joined the rest of the country to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought to create awareness on the impact of gender equality on land restoration measures in order to influence stakeholders to device measures to combat it.
The day was observed on the theme; ‘’Her land. Her right, advancing gender equality and land restoration goals’’.
Mr Lignule indicated that land restoration and sustainable land management to combat desertification and mitigate the effect of drought was a shared responsibility of everyone and said combating desertification involved using land in ways that prevented or reduced its degradation.
He noted that desert conditions served as challenges to socio-economic development and said it included a decline in supply of wood and non-wood forest products for various uses and low agricultural yield leading to poverty and increased gender inequality.
‘’The purpose of this year’s celebration is to raise awareness on the underlying causes of desertification and drought and to also inspire stakeholders to support the advancement of women’s land right’’, he said.
He said land degradation in regions with prolonged dryness led to the formation of desert conditions such as dry lands with low biological and economic productivity, sparse vegetation and scarcity of water.
He urged stakeholders in land management to take measures to increase women’s access to land and to secure lands right to encourage upscaling of land restoration and sustainable land management.
The Chief Director at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Mr Peter Maala highlighted that land degradation was the core environmental challenge in the region and said it threatened ecosystem services such as water flow and quality regulation.
This he said had been a major source of worry for leadership of the region since majority of people in the region were engaged in agriculture as their only source of livelihood.
He called on stakeholders to support government’s efforts at increasing access to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in order to reduce dependence on wood fuel, as well as controlling devastating wildfires and encouraging diversity to livelihood to increase resilience to drought.
The programme brought together staff of the Regional Coordinating Council, traditional authorities, religious leaders, heads of departments and stakeholders across the region.
FROM RAFIA ABDUL RAZAK WA
The Ghana Tourism Development Company, GTDC, under the leadership of Prof.Kobby Mensah has launched GTDC Campus Tourism Office at the University of Ghana.
The initiative aims to promote educational and domestic tourism by providing structured campus tour experiences showcasing key heritage sites, including the Archaeology Museum and the School of Performing Arts.
It will also offer students their first travel experience across the continent and inculcate in them love to visit Ghana’s heritage sites.
Addressing the gathering at the launch yesterday, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, described tourism as a vehicle for education and heritage preservation, stressing that the sector must inspire citizens to value and protect national culture for future generations.
The minister highlighted tourism’s connection to disciplines such as history, the arts, economics and environmental science.
The minister further noted that the private sector is the engine of tourism economy, adding that the engines require fuel, which is talents.” by investing in these young people today, you are securing the quality, the innovation and competitiveness of our own industry for tomorrow.
She added that the establishment of the office represents a deliberate investment in the intellectual capital of the country.
The GTDC boss, Prof.Kobby Mensah, said,”at GTDC, we believe that if our tourism has to be sustainable, we have to promote domestic tourism and a very big part of it is getting students to appreciate tourism and helping them to organise tours.”
He added that the University of Ghana itself is a huge heritage site which must be explored.
Prof.Kobby Mensah noted that the initiative, which is one of many to be established across the country, is a joint partnership between GTDC and University of Ghana.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof.Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said the University is a custodian of heritage which goes beyond the structures and welcomed the establishment of the first Campus Tourism Office.
She was optimistic that the office would be put to good use to achieve the intended purpose.
The launch brought together Stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to nurturing future tourism and hospitality professionals.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Ghana has officially accepted an invitation to serve as Guest Country at Burkina Faso’s 22nd National Culture Week in Bobo-Dioulasso from April 22 to May 2, 2026.
The invitation was extended by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo, accompanied by the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Ghana, H.E. David Kabré.
Receiving the delegation, Abla Dzifa Gomashie reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to deepening cultural diplomacy and strengthening historic ties between the two nations.
She noted that the festival will create opportunities for young creatives, expand exhibition platforms and promote commercial exchange within the creative sector.
The event will feature cultural performances, a community village and gastronomy fair, an arts market, literary engagements, and a craft and trade fair.
Ghana’s participation is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations between John Dramani Mahama and Ibrahim Traoré, while fostering collaboration within the creative ecosystems of both countries.
