The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change has intensified efforts to restore degraded areas within the Western Area National Park. Honourable Minister Jiwoh E. Abdulai, on Monday, 1st September 2025, visited Sugarloaf Mountain at Regent, a critical water catchment that supplies the Regent Guma Dam.
The Minister was accompanied by the Headman of Regent Village, the Councillor, the Founder of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, and other community stakeholders. The visit was aimed at assessing the extent of deforestation and making arrangements for tree planting and reclamation.
During the engagement, Minister Abdulai expressed concern over increasing construction and other human activities within protected areas. He underscored the Ministry’s commitment to work with other government agencies, community leadership, and conservation organisations to secure the forest reserves in the Western Area National Park.
Bala Amarasekaran, Founder and Head of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, noted that the Minister’s visit was an important step in identifying areas for rehabilitation. He stressed that reclaiming the Sugarloaf Forest is vital because of its critical role in water supply and ecosystem protection.
Ibrahim Tanko, Commander of the National Protected Area Authority Zone Four, highlighted the need for more security presence in the protected areas, including guard posts and regular patrols.
The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change reaffirmed its resolve to coordinate conservation efforts with local communities and partners to restore the forest cover of Sugarloaf and safeguard the water systems that serve Regent and beyond.
