Prof Christopher Gordon, former Director of the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana has urged the government to leverage nature-based solutions as part of a comprehensive strategy to address the country’s environmental challenges, including the destructive impact of illegal mining (galamsey).
Speaking at the 2024 Achimota Speaks lecture, Prof Gordon argued that Ghana has yet to fully explore its natural resources as part of a solution, largely due to a lack of research and the absence of community-driven scientific approaches.
He emphasised that science must be inclusive, calling for a transdisciplinary approach that involves communities and other major stakeholders to create solutions that are both scientifically sound and meaningful to local populations.
He stressed that nature-based solutions extend beyond simple tree planting; they require holistic approaches that integrate the needs and knowledge of those directly affected by environmental degradation.
“We have to use nature to try to solve some of these things. We have not tapped into our nature in this country. The reason is that we haven’t done the research.
“If you want to have true science meaningful to the people, we need to integrate the people. That is a transdisciplinary science. This is a science that involves the major stakeholders and is meaningful to them. But the nature-based solution is more than tree planting,” he stated.
