The Forestry Commission has sought the support of the Nungua Traditional Council in its renewed effort to protect the Sakumo Ramsar Site from illegal encroachment.

The Chief Executive of the Commission, Dr. Hugh Brown, led a delegation to the Nungua Mantse Palace as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration with traditional authorities in the Sakumo catchment area.

The engagement was aimed at safeguarding the ecological integrity of the protected wetland and addressing the growing threat of encroachment by estate developers and private individuals.

Dr. Brown said the Sakumo Ramsar Site remains a major ecological resource with multiple benefits, including flood control, water retention, biodiversity conservation and support for local livelihoods.

He explained that while the core zone serves as the main water retention area, the buffer zone provides critical ecological support by absorbing excess water and protecting the integrity of the wetland.

Given the role of traditional authorities as custodians of land, Dr. Brown said their active support was critical to preserving natural reserves, including wetlands.

He also cautioned prospective land buyers against acquiring land within the protected area.

The Nungua Mantse, Oboade Notse King Professor Odaifio Welentsi III, assured the Forestry Commission of the full support of the Nungua Traditional Council in protecting the Ramsar Site.

He urged officials of the Commission to be firm in the discharge of their mandate, particularly in the protection of natural reserves, which he said are of immense ecological value.

The Nungua Mantse also denied claims that he had authorised the sale of any land within the Sakumo Ramsar Site.

“I have never authorised the sale of any land within the Sakumo Ramsar Site,” he said.

He said although several land documents bearing what appeared to be his signature had surfaced, he had neither signed nor approved any transaction involving land within the protected wetland.

He cautioned members of the public against engaging individuals or groups claiming to sell plots of land within the Ramsar Site, describing such acts as fraudulent.

“I am committed to the conservation of the Ramsar Site because the protection of the wetland remains essential for the well-being of both present and future generations,” he said.

The Nungua Mantse said the Traditional Council would rally its subjects to support efforts to protect the wetland.

“Nungua is our only homeland and we have nowhere else to go. That is why we must all support efforts to protect natural reserves that will make us live at peace with nature,” he said.

He further described illegal encroachment on the wetland as a crime against nature and reaffirmed his commitment to safeguarding the internationally significant site.

Ghana became a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1988. The Sakumo Ramsar Site was placed under the protection and management of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission in 1999, making it a protected wetland of global ecological importance.

The site serves as a natural flood control system and provides a critical habitat for several migratory bird species. It also plays a key role in mitigating coastal flooding and sustaining local livelihoods.

In recent years, however, the wetland has come under increasing pressure from illegal encroachment, weakening its ecological functions.

The Forestry Commission has implemented several measures to curb encroachment, including the demolition of unauthorised structures and public awareness campaigns.

Climate experts have warned that disruption of the natural ecosystem at the site has heightened the risk of flooding in parts of the Greater Accra Region.