In a determined effort to reclaim their land and protect vital ecosystems, the Rights of Nature Ghana Movement (RoNAG), supported by Gower Street U.K., held a tree planting and environmental sensitisation programme in the Atatem community in Adansi North District of Ghana’s Ashanti Region.
The initiative, conducted on June 20, 2025, aligned with World Environment Day and drew strong participation from local teachers, students, and residents.
The day began at Atatem D/A Primary and Junior High School. Pupils and staff were introduced to the Rights of Nature framework, which recognises the legal personhood and intrinsic rights of ecosystems.
The workshop came amid rising fears about Galamsey—illegal mining—that now threatens school lands and surrounding forests. RoNAG provided native seedlings from the Forestry Commission of Ghana for planting, a gesture aimed at rehabilitating degraded land and promoting environmental resilience.
The organisation stressed the essential role of trees in supporting biodiversity, regulating climate, and mitigating the destruction caused by illegal mining.
Following the school session, community members engaged in a dialogue on sustainable alternatives to environmentally harmful livelihoods.
With Atatem’s unique ecology—including the rare White-necked Picathartes bird, waterfalls, and the Gyimi River that hosts endangered slender-snouted crocodiles—residents discussed eco-tourism and conservation as pathways to employment. Community leaders expressed grave concern over the impact of mining, which has caused severe land degradation and polluted local water sources.
RoNAG proposed the development of a Rights of Nature Bill specifically for the Gyimi River and surrounding forests.
Residents voiced their strong support for the legislation, seeing it as a tool to stop further encroachment by illegal miners and restore environmental justice.
Many lamented the lack of community involvement in land decisions, often made by traditional authorities without consultation. RoNAG pledged ongoing legal and grassroots support to ensure that local voices are included in protecting natural resources.
The event forms part of a broader RoNAG project, backed by Eco Jurisprudence Monitor in the United States and Lawyers for Nature in the U.K. The ongoing research titled Assessing Legal Frameworks and Stakeholder Perspectives on Integrating the Rights of Nature into Ghana’s Environmental Governance began in May 2025 and is set to conclude in December 2025.
It examines Ghana’s environmental laws, global models of nature rights, stakeholder awareness, and potential reforms for integrating the concept into national policy.
The project is led by RoNAG Director Dr. Dickson Adom, with a research team including experts in environmental law, sustainability, eco-linguistics, and protected area management.
Findings from the study will be presented at a stakeholder workshop in December, after which RoNAG will begin implementation efforts in other mining-affected communities.
As Atatem residents planted trees beneath the clearing sky, they did more than commemorate World Environment Day.
They took a stand—rooted in soil and law—for a future where rivers, forests, and people thrive together.
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