It’s Earth Day, and the rains have poured heavy early morning in the Garden City of Kumasi.
Such
rains should come as soothing relief to residents of Kumasi. But many a
community are not enthused with such downpour – more rains will result in flooding
of homes, markets and streets in parts of Ghana’s second largest city.
The
devastation of the recent phenomenon is real and discomforting to people.
But
would Kumasi see its greens restored?
The
theme for Earth Day 2021 offers a cue: “Restore Our Earth”, focusing on natural
processes and emerging green technologies that can restore the world’s ecosystems.
A
dysfunctional Garden City Model
The
declining state of urban environments was one of the driving forces behind
Ebenezer Howard's invention of the Garden City model in the late 1800s, as a
way to preserve much of the natural environment while creating a blend of town
and country or village life in an urban setting.
Kumasi
is one of the few cities in Africa where the Garden City model has been
implemented.
The
British developed a development plan for Kumasi in 1945 that adopted the common
Garden City model of the time, allocating a large portion of the city's land
area to green spaces.
These
green spaces refer to both public and private open spaces in urban areas that
are largely protected by natural vegetation and are accessible for human use
directly or indirectly.
Urban
parks, gardens, trees, woodland, wetlands, and green belts were examples of
such spaces in Kumasi at the time. The city's subsequent growth followed a
similar trend, with many green spaces retained in the physical landscape. In the 1960s, this
circumstance earned the city the title of "Garden City of West
Africa."
However,
due to excessive urbanization and physical alteration of the green vegetation –
indiscriminate tree felling, degradation of wetlands, and unsustainable
infrastructure growth – Kumasi is losing its green vegetation at an alarming
pace.
The sad tale of Kumasi journalists planting
trees in vain
In May 2019,
journalists in the Ashanti region undertook a massive coconut tree planting at a wetland bordering the Subin River at
Danyame in the Kumasi Metropolis.
Planting along the waterlogged
area was the group’s contribution to climate action and to help check perennial
flooding of the area at every rainstorm.
During the exercise,
concerns were raised about unrestrained cutting down of trees, with a call for
residents, traditional and local authorities to stay vigilant to the
environmental havoc.
But soon the very
trees planted by the journalists, together with over 1,500 plant species, were
cleared on the wetland for a construction project.
The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association
(GJA) demanded compensation for the destruction of its project. But that is all
the group could do.
The GJA was disappointed as the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly claimed
it had not authorized any developer to carry out a project at the area.
The space is
currently cordoned to ward off encroachment.
Destroying
the King’s trees with impunity
In June
2019, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, declared his commitment to plant
and manage 2.5 million trees around Lake Bosomtwe, the only natural lake in Ghana.
The five-year
landscape restoration project, covering 4,000 hectares, is in line with the King’s
move to provide protection for water bodies in Asanteman.
“The project is envisioned to contribute to Ghana’s
environmental protection efforts, contribute to the fight against climate
change, contribute to Ghana’s pledge to the Bonn Challenge as well as improve
tourism around Lake Bosomtwe,” the Asantehene said.
Under the project, three fringe communities on
the Lake Bosomtwe Basin – Amakom, Adjaman and Atafram – planted hundreds of
trees in the buffer zones of the Lake in commemoration of the 2020
International Day of Forests and World Water Day.
But in less than a year after the exercise, a private
developer encroached
the buffer of the tourist site to wreak havoc. He cleared trees planted along
the Lake and destroyed the spawning areas where the fishes lay
their eggs.
Such is the spate of impunity in killing a healthy
balance between biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use.
Sadly, the destruction of green spaces in Greater Kumasi
is often motivated by the selfish interest of traditional leaders, regulatory agencies
and local government authorities.
Restore
the Garden in the City
The
destruction of urban trees has resulted in the degradation of the environment.
Over
the past two decades, there have been several projects initiated by the Kumasi Metropolitan
Assembly to green the city. But most of these have remained mere rhetoric.
In
2014, the KMA embarked on the Urban Forestry project with a target of planting
one million trees along highways, open spaces and school compounds. But the
goal of restoring the city’s Garden City status by 2017 could not be achieved.
Under
the current Keep Kumasi Clean and Green project, the KMA says over 100 thousand
trees have been planted along water bodies and ceremonial streets.
But
is the beauty of the flora and fauna of the city invisible?
The
Importance of Green Spaces
Studies
show green spaces in a city can save lives. They help lower air temperatures
and boost well-being.
As a result, there is an increasing
understanding of the significance and value of urban green spaces in cities. Conserving green spaces in the physical environment of
cities – parks, gardens, and forests – has been described as an activity that
contributes to city sustainability.
However, certain obstacles must be
resolved in order to preserve such spaces, and this has received little
attention.
Urban
sprawl is very common, resulting in a significant loss of green vegetation on
the city's outskirts. Kumasi now lacks much greenery, which runs counter to the
city's original garden city model.
Overcoming the "physical"
obstacles to urban green spaces would help to ensure their long-term viability
in Kumasi.
Conflicting ownership rights,
encroachment, and inadequate maintenance have been identified as major physical
obstacles to the creation of urban green spaces and are factors impeding
Kumasi's greening.
To improve the quality of urban green
spaces, the city authorities should prioritize the preservation of green
vegetation, with an effective green space plan in place to direct the creation
of the city's green spaces.
There are suggestions for the
construction of additional parks and gardens, the development of brownfield
sites into green spaces, and the institutionalization of a green space award
scheme.
In order to foster a positive attitude
toward green space management in Kumasi, intensive public education is needed.
In addition, agencies responsible for
the maintenance of green spaces in the Kumasi Metropolis are advised to follow
environmental bylaws, physical planning codes, and standards.
Perhaps, the spirit of Earth Day 2021 will
spur interest groups to act in restoring the greens of Kumasi to regain its ‘Garden
City’ accolade.
The writer, Kofi Adu Domfeh, is a Development Journalist,
Environmental Advocate and Climate Reality Leader adomfeh@gmail.com
