Dr Kodimah Siita, Executive Director, Center for Opportunities in Rural Development (CORD Ghana), has called for practical and innovative solutions to help sustain and preserve the environment for present and future generations.
He said environmental challenges required collective action and conscious daily choices, stressing that individuals had a responsibility to contribute towards environmental protection and climate resilience.
Dr Siita made the call while addressing students, educators, climate advocates, and development practitioners in Tamale during activities to mark this year’s World Environment Day celebration.
The event was organised by CORD Ghana in collaboration with Youth Challenge International, the Ghana Education Service, the Network of Youth for Climate Action Africa (NYCA), and other partners.
The event featured environmental awareness sessions and interactive engagements with students, who were encouraged to champion sustainable environmental practices within their schools and communities.
It was geared towards mobilising young people and other stakeholders to take concrete actions towards environmental conservation and climate resilience.
Dr Siita said the celebration was intended to rekindle society’s commitment to environmental stewardship and empower young people to become agents of change.
He noted that the environment remained central to human survival and development and urged students to appreciate their role in safeguarding it.
He said: “The earth we live on is borrowed from generations yet to come. It is therefore, important that we protect and preserve it for them.”
He explained that CORD Ghana chose to organise the event in schools because of its youth-centred approach to development, adding that nurturing environmental consciousness among young people was critical to achieving a sustainable future.
Miss Olivia Sayani, Programme and Partnership Fellow at Youth Challenge International, highlighted the global nature of climate change and its effects on communities across the world.
Drawing from experiences in Africa, Europe, and North America, she said droughts, wildfires, and floods demonstrated that climate change was a shared challenge requiring collective action.
She encouraged young people to take active leadership roles in climate action through innovation, advocacy, community mobilisation, and sustainable practices.
She said: “The future is not something we wait for; it is something we create together today. Every action matters, whether large or small, local or global.”
Mr Salifu Abdul Razak, Sagnarigu Municipal Director of Education, described the theme for this year’s celebration; “Inspired by Nature, for Climate, for Our Future”, as a reminder of society’s collective responsibility towards environmental sustainability.
He noted that schools could play key roles in nurturing environmentally conscious citizens through practical initiatives such as tree planting, school gardening, and waste recycling programmes.
Mr Abdul Razak observed that climate change was already affecting the education sector through rising temperatures, flooding, and dry spells that disrupted teaching and learning activities, and said students should not be viewed solely as victims of climate change but as part of the solution.
He said: “Every child who turns off a light, plants a tree, or adopts environmentally friendly practices is contributing to climate action.”
He said the Ghana Education Service was promoting climate education through green school initiatives aimed at integrating environmental responsibility into students’ everyday lives.
He urged schools to become centres of climate restoration by establishing gardens, implementing waste segregation systems, and participating in tree-planting campaigns.
GNA
