A Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Forest and Climate Change Division at the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr. Gloria Djaey Djagbletey was the guest speaker at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD)held held on the theme “Sustainable Steps Towards Securing the Environment: Five Years of Achievement, Challenges, and Progress.”
Her address focused on critical issues of environmental sustainability and development, highlighting the escalating environmental challenges confronting societies today and the urgent need for sustainable solutions to safeguard the environment.
She underlined the strong interconnectedness between environmental protection, human well-being, and socio-economic development, noting that sustainable development can only be achieved through responsible governance, informed policy decisions, and collective action. She affirmed that humans rely on vegetation for clean air, animals for food, and water for survival, while the land itself depends on vegetation for protection against erosion and environmental degradation.
Dr. Djagbletey further noted that negative human activities, particularly the indiscriminate dumping of waste, have had severe adverse effects on the environment, resulting in flooding in areas that previously did not experience such occurrences. She cited a recent flooding incident at Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region which caused a mess in the area.
The Guest Speaker underscored the pivotal role of institutions of higher learning, especially UESD, in shaping Ghana’s sustainability agenda and contributing to global environmental solutions through research, innovation, education, and community engagement. She encouraged managers of the University to continue leveraging its unique mandate to produce environmentally conscious graduates and to translate academic research into practical solutions that address real-world environmental challenges.
She also highlighted the importance of collaboration among government, academia, industry, and civil society in addressing environmental issues. In this regard, she urged UESD to strengthen partnerships with waste management institutions to ensure the effective recycling and repurposing of waste generated on campus and beyond.
Dr. Djagbletey maintained that securing the environment is not without challenges; however, with the right focus and commitment, these challenges can be transformed into opportunities. She therefore urged the University to remain resolute and steadfast in its efforts to safeguard the environment.
She concluded with a call for increased investment in sustainability-driven research, capacity building, and public education to promote responsible environmental practices and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.