EPA Calls for Action to Protect Ghana’s Rangelands

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is calling for urgent action to protect Ghana’s rangelands as the country joins the world to commemorate Desertification and Drought Day 2026 under the theme “Rangelands: Recognise. Respect. Restore.”

The Authority warned that despite their critical role in food security, water supply and climate resilience, Ghana’s rangelands face mounting threats from unsustainable land use and climate change.

Rangelands cover nearly half of the Earth’s terrestrial surface and support more than two billion people globally through livestock production, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration and vital ecosystem services.

Yet the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification estimates that almost 50 per cent of the world’s rangelands are already degraded.

In Ghana, these ecosystems are concentrated in the savannah zones of the north, where they sustain livestock production, rural livelihoods, wildlife habitats and local economies. The EPA said these landscapes are now under severe pressure from uncontrolled bushfires, overgrazing, illegal logging, indiscriminate charcoal production, mining activities and the intensifying impacts of climate change.

The consequences of degradation are already being felt.

The Authority pointed to declining soil fertility, shrinking vegetation cover, loss of biodiversity, growing conflicts over natural resources, reduced agricultural productivity and increased vulnerability of communities to drought and climate shocks.

This year’s commemoration coincides with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, which the EPA said provides a unique opportunity to elevate sustainable rangeland management and pastoral livelihoods.

The Authority outlined three immediate actions needed to reverse the trend.

First, Ghana must recognise the full value of rangelands beyond grazing. They provide carbon storage, watershed protection, biodiversity conservation and climate regulation, and must be integrated into national development planning, climate adaptation strategies and sustainable land management programmes.

Second, the EPA stressed the need to respect the knowledge, traditions and stewardship practices of pastoralists, Indigenous peoples and local communities. For generations, traditional institutions have maintained sustainable practices such as sacred groves, protected water bodies and community grazing systems that allow people, livestock and nature to coexist. The Authority said these indigenous systems remain valuable resources and should be integrated into modern conservation and restoration efforts.

Third, restoration must become a national priority. The EPA noted that restoring degraded rangelands enhances ecosystem productivity, improves water retention, supports biodiversity recovery, increases carbon sequestration, strengthens climate resilience and improves livelihoods.

Achieving this will require community participation, sustainable grazing management, afforestation and reforestation, integrated watershed management, climate-smart agriculture and stronger environmental governance.

The Government of Ghana remains committed to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality, meeting the objectives of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, delivering on Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 2, 13, 15 and 17.

The EPA said it continues to work with stakeholders through sustainable land and water management programmes, ecosystem restoration projects, climate adaptation interventions, community-based natural resource management initiatives, environmental education campaigns and integrated landscape restoration programmes.

One example is the establishment of community-managed rangelands in Northern Ghana, which have improved vegetation recovery, boosted livestock productivity, strengthened water availability and reduced farmer-herder conflicts.

The Authority emphasised that protecting rangelands cannot be achieved by the government alone. It called for strong partnerships among communities, traditional authorities, civil society, academia, the private sector, development partners and citizens.

“Every tree planted, every degraded landscape restored, every bushfire prevented, and every sustainable land management practice adopted contributes to building a more resilient Ghana,” the EPA stated.

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