The Ghana Institute of Foresters (GIF) has welcomed the government's decision to reverse the declassification of the Achimota Forest in the Greater Accra region.

The erstwhile Akufo-Addo government on April 19, 2022, through an Executive Instrument (EI) 144, designated portions of the urban forest as no longer a forest reserve.

This was met with discontent from some environmentally conscious groups, including the Foresters, as they bemoaned the repercussions of the decision on urban centres.

On July 16, 2026, Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah announced that the cabinet has restored the Achimota Forest Reserve to its full protected status under the 1927 declaration, effectively nullifying the legal changes introduced in 2022 that removed approximately 361.5 acres from the southern portion of the reserve.

The GIF described the reversal as a ‘bold and timely’ decision which is consistent with their longstanding position for the withdrawal of the Executive Instrument for sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience.

A statement signed by its President, Dr. Abukari Nantogmah Attah Esq., further highlighted the importance of the forest reserve in protecting the city against the vagaries of the ever-changing climatic conditions.

“The restoration of the Achimota Forest Reserve comes at a particularly significant time when Ghana continues to experience increasingly frequent flooding and extreme weather events, especially within Accra and other rapidly urbanising communities,” a statement from the group read.

The statement added that: “Beyond storing carbon and moderating local temperatures, urban forests purify polluted air, reduce urban heat, regulate stormwater runoff, recharge groundwater, provide habitats for biodiversity and significantly reduce the severity of flooding by absorbing and retaining large volumes of rainwater”.

They are advocating a similar protection for other ecologically important urban forests and wetlands as they remind the government of the disappearance of the once-prominent Kumasi Forest Reserve owing to unplanned urban expansion.

These reserves include the Dede Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region, Kabakaba Forest Reserve in the Volta Region, Wa Town Plantation Forest, Tamale Waterworks Forest Reserve, Tamale Fuelwood Plantation Forest, Tamale GES Plantation Forest Reserve, Winneba Waterworks Forest Reserve, and Gua Koo Forest at Pokuase.

The GIF believes that the reversal presents an opportunity for Ghana to strengthen its legal framework governing the reservation and de-reservation of forest reserves.

They are calling on the government and Parliament to review all relevant legislation to ensure that any future reservation or de-reservation of a Forest Reserve is subject to Parliamentary approval, comprehensive environmental and social impact assessment, broad stakeholder and public consultation, scientific and technical evaluation, and full compliance with the constitutional principles of sustainable development and intergenerational equity.

Citing globally recognized tourism and conservation landmarks like New York’s Central Park, the foresters are positive that with planning and sustained investment, the Achimota Forest could become one of Africa's premier urban ecological parks, providing environmental, educational, recreational and economic benefits for the unborn generations.