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The Environment in simple terms refers to the natural surrounding which covers and protects mankind from natural disasters. It refers to everything that surrounds mankind. The entire life on earth depends on the environment.

Despite the importance of the environment to the existence of mankind, it is sad to note that the activities of human beings, whether consciously or unconsciously, have continuously posed a threat to that same environment.

The healthy and natural environment is deteriorating day by day, and affects everything from non-living to living creatures in the Upper West Region.

The Region is dying out gradually as the residents are without any purposeful vision towards the protection of the environment.

In fact the people have closed their minds towards the environment and this could deny them some plant medicine, fuel wood, and fodder for livestock rearing, as well as trigger off food insecurity in the near future if care is not taken.

Nobody cares about what happens 50 years from now. In fact, the concept of responsibility to future generations is neglected. It seems the people have failed to learn to live with the resources that God has provided them in abundance.

Despite the fact that the forests and trees are of high importance for poverty alleviation and sustainable economic development, the rose trees in the Wa East, Sissala West, Sissala East and Jirapa Districts among others, are being harvested with impunity by some illegal companies.

The wanton felling of rose trees which is going on in some parts of the region, will worsen the challenges already posed by climate change, such as erratic rainfall, food insecurity and siltation of water bodies in the communities.

The upsurge in the illegal exploitation of forest resources in the region by illegal companies can be a major impediment for the attainment of sustainable development.

Several communities are gradually losing their precious trees and animal species as a result of these practices. It is unfortunate that the Ghana Forestry Commission has allowed companies to come and harvest trees from the region, knowing very well that poverty is endemic and food insecurity is high among the people.

As a result of the operation of these companies farmers in the communities last year experienced changing rainfall patterns and lost their crop yields because the soils are continuously losing their nutrients and productivity going on the decline as a result of these negative practices.

With the harvest of the rose trees, livestock production will suffer and livelihoods will be curtailed because owners of livestock will find it difficult to feed their animals.

The source of livelihood of women who are engaged in shea butter and dawadawa production are also endangered as the shea and dawadawa trees are not spared.

These companies are allegedly holding documents from the Ghana Forestry Commission and come to the communities with articulator trucks, tractors and chainsaw machines to cut the rose trees and other economic trees.

The companies end up paying between 500 and 600 Ghana Cedi to community members for a container full of timber or 100 pieces of trees felled.

The activities of the companies are detrimental to the growth and development of agriculture in the region. Unfortunately, there has been complete silence on the part of Ghana Forestry Commission, which is making no effort to stop them from felling trees in an area which is already a savannah zone.

No wonder the region has become the hub of commercial charcoal production in Ghana, and that is evidenced by the number of vehicles that come there to transport charcoal and rose wood to the south.

Traditional authorities in the region have expressed worry about the activities of the companies which have invaded the region, and are indiscriminately felling trees for commercial purposes.

There has also been a huge public outcry about the activities of these contractors, and no action has been taken to that effect even though the emergence of this phenomenon has created land conflicts in several communities which has the potential to disrupt the peace in the Region.

Already, in some communities people have taken to arms and fought each other over ownership of land and trees, a practice that has created differences among family members and communities.

It is a pity and a painful experience that the Sissala Districts which are a bit forested but confronted with issues of perennial bush burning, drought, water pollution and siltation of water bodies among others, have to lose trees through illegal logging.

The inhabitants in these communities who are predominantly farmers have been accusing the government for no action taken against the companies, and also deal with all those involved in the felling of the trees.

With the prevailing environmental degradation in the region, there is the need to develop appropriate environmental strategies to address the problems of the environment, which require the active involvement of all residents.

Communities should try to be vigilant on issues affecting the environment. It should be a shared responsibility to protect the environment against bush burning, wanton felling and logging of trees for charcoal and timber production.

The inhabitants should cultivate the habit of growing trees towards combating desertification. The old tradition where trees are regarded as a gift from God and should therefore grow by themselves through natural propagation must give way to aggressive tree-planting programmes.

The people must have the will to change attitudes, behaviours and negative practices and pursue the path of sustainable environmental development for future generations.

The enforcement of environmental and forestry laws to protect and ensure a sustainable environment for future generations is urgently needed now than before. Therefore, the Forestry Commission, the Ghana Police and traditional rulers as well as other community leaders including the district assemblies must work together to find a solution to the abuse of forest resources.

The Forestry Commission must avoid the practice of opening its doors wide to companies that come to harvest trees from the north because the practice is impacting negatively on the livelihoods of the people.

Government must come out with a strategic approach to solving the problem of environmental degradation. Government must be seen providing leadership in this direction. For now, governments are only concerned about what is politically realistic rather than what is in the best interest of the people.

Action to deal effectively with environmental degradation is politically impossible as long as governments are heavily under the undue sway of special interests. They will not state clearly what is needed. That is why young people will need to stand up for their rights by blocking the destruction of the environment in their respective communities.

It is often said that when the last tree dies, the last man also dies. The Upper West Region will certainly die if the people fail to protect the environment, and to particularly refrain from the wanton destruction of trees for timber and charcoal production.