Kumasi: Forest degradation, illegal logging, agricultural expansion, mining, and climate change continue to threaten Ghana's forests, which are central to biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, livelihoods, and economic development.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Young Forest Champions initiative develops youth leadership by recognising and mentoring outstanding young people working in forestry, restoration, and climate action. This year's workshop brings together the 2025 and 2026 cohorts with government, academia, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to strengthen technical capacity, promote peer learning, and build a national network of digitally enabled forest leaders.
The initiative is being executed by the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests), a programme at the Forestry Division of the FAO supporting countries to strengthen National Forest Monitoring Systems through improved forest data, digital technologies, and evidence-based decision-making. The programme was put together by FAO Representation in Ghana, the Forestry Commission, and the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources at KNUST.
Ms. Eva Ntara, AIM4Forests Youth Engagement Specialist at FAO, speaking at the opening of a three-day workshop in Kumasi, highlighted the importance of forest monitoring to the Organisation, which has been building the capacities of government officials and young people to appreciate the significance of forests, the challenges they face, and formulate ways to address these challenges. She explained that the Young Forest Champions initiative, which started in 2024 in Kenya, assessed the need to involve young people in forest matters, and the results have now been extended to some countries in Africa, including Ghana.
For 2026, 10 forest champions have been selected to increase awareness of Ghana's forestry, restoration, and digital forest monitoring priorities. The initiative aims to showcase youth-led forestry, restoration, and biodiversity initiatives as well as demonstrate how digital forestry tools support National Forest Monitoring Systems under AIM4Forests. The workshop will also strengthen advocacy, communications, and leadership skills, promoting peer learning and future collaboration between the 2025 and 2026 cohorts, Ms. Ntara announced.
Madam Tessia Ama Boatemaa Boateng of the Climate Change Unit of the Forestry Commission said the Commission had over the years worked with the FAO, citing that the forest champions initiative could bolster good forest governance in Ghana. 'It is good that we are involving the young people through training and learning from them. Some of them have great ideas on conserving the forest which will ultimately make us have a better forest in Ghana.'
Mr. Theophilus Delali Dumenyo, a 2025 Young Forest Champion, emphasised the youth's participation in forest governance as very crucial in sanitising the forest. He called on stakeholders to incentivise the youth in partaking in activities regarding the environment and forest ecosystem.
Professor Emmanuel Acheampong, Dean of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, KNUST, proposed that in sustaining such projects, the initiative can be run as a summer school model where graduate students can apply and be competitively selected to be part of the programme.