Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, Executive Director of Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies, has asked religious bodies and civil society groups, especially youth groups to actively get involved in the crusade to protect rivers and water bodies in the country. He said the youth, who were the future leaders, must be concerned about the wanton pollution and destruction of rivers and streams by some selfish individuals and join hands with environmental activists to halt the situation. Nana Sarpong was speaking to the Ghana News Agency after the youth and students of the Adum Ramseyer Presbyterian Church in Kumasi had planted trees on the banks of Lake Bosomtwe at Abono in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District of Ashanti. The exercise, which was carried out in collaboration with the Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies, saw the youth planting 300 orange seedlings and 70 coconut seedlings along the banks of the Lake. It formed part of the activities marking the annual Youth and Students Week celebrations of the Church. Nana Sarpong said Lake Bosomtwe, which is the largest natural lake in West Africa, was being polluted by all forms of human activities in the fringe communities and commended the youth of the Church for taking the initiative to plant trees to protect the Lake from drying up. He said the Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies, had since the last ten years undertaken a number of initiatives including tree planting exercises along the banks of the Lake to protect it from drying up. Mr Thomas Amedekah, Chairman of the Week Celebrations Planning Committee, said the exercise was in support of the Greening Ghana Initiative adding that, the trees would help protect the Lake from drying up. He said the Presbyterian Church had always supported the socio-economic development initiatives of the government and appealed to the youth to take environmental issues seriously for their own sake and for posterity. Mr Kwabena Agyepong, General Secretary of Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies, appealed to district assemblies to initiate pragmatic measures that would help protect rivers and streams in their areas. GNA