By Samuel T Okae
INTRODUCTION
Background Information
Sustainable Development is a process of maintaining the legacy and properties that our forefathers left behind for us to sustain it for future generation to enjoy.
Sustainable development and environmental issues include the emission of greenhouse gases, indiscriminate bush fires, excessive grazing, industrial exploitation of gases into the atmosphere, and many other air pollutions. Our environment sustains life; using insecticides on our farmlands can affect our herbal plants. Sustainable development is about the protection of our economic and cultural growth of the country.
Herbal plant materials have been known to be used to treat illnesses and support the primary health care delivery system in our communities and the global world over several centuries.
According to the World Health Organization’s (2000) final report on the African Forum on the Role of Traditional Medicine in Health Systems, about 80% of the population living in the rural areas of many developing countries uses traditional medicine for their primary health care needs. Herbal medicine helps in the treatment of a lot of illnesses recently; the environment is being destroyed and polluted by the indigenous communities by the use of pesticides and herbicides. If this continues, the safety of herbal medicines cannot be ascertained. There is a need to save and protect our natural processes of production of herbs for the future.
Environmental issues, arising that may lead to a lack of sustainability of herbal materials include destroying forest trees, cattle crazing, illegal mining which is causing more harm to our herbal products.
Causes of environmental hazards to herbal plant materials
Some people within the community are polluting the environment by using dangerous chemicals and insecticides on their farmland and these might have future consequences on the safety and sustainability of our herbal products. If this continues it will be very difficult to get plant materials to produce herbal medicines. It will also affect the country and especially industries to produce and export raw materials for herbal medicine will be greatly affected. An appeal and detailed education on these practices should be given to ensure the sustainability and safety of consumers are protected.
THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Our sustainable environment is rapidly changing from better to worse as a result of the exploitation of the resources of the earth which has become predominant and invasive to the point of being a threat to human existence and food consumption as well. The relationship between humans and the environment is now very dangerous. There is a need to establish a good environment to help our community and avoid constant pollution.
Conclusion
Ghanaians need to sustain the environment and stop using dangerous chemicals. Practices such as land degradation and illegal mining in virgin forests should be stopped. The law-enforcing agencies and media commission must also continue to campaign against such practices. If such practice continues, it will affect our future generations and of productivity of the herbal medicines industry in Ghana.
Written and compiled by
Samuel .T. Okae
Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP)
(ICDE, LEGON)
samuelokaetetteh@gmail.com
