Mr Tobig made the call at Kparaboug during the passing-out ceremony for 20 community fire volunteers drawn from the Kparaboug and Dasang communities under a bushfire prevention initiative led by the Forum for Natural Regeneration (FONAR), in collaboration with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

He commended FONAR and the volunteers for their dedication to restoring degraded vegetation and protecting farmlands, noting that the intervention had significantly reduced bushfire outbreaks in the two beneficiary communities.

The DCE described indiscriminate burning as a major setback to environmental sustainability, emphasising that uncontrolled bushfires were destroying farmlands, vegetation cover and young tree seedlings that would otherwise have benefited communities and livestock.

He assured traditional authorities and partners that the Assembly was reviewing environmental By laws to strengthen bushfire prevention efforts.

Once gazetted, he said, the bylaws would be used as effective management tools to protect the district’s natural resources.

The Executive Director of FONAR, Mr Sumaila S. Saaka, said the fire volunteer initiative formed part of the organisation’s Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration for Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods Project (FMNR4WELIP) funded by the Awaken Trees Foundation of Austria.

He noted that since 2023, the dedicated team of men and women had demonstrated Exceptional commitment, resulting in a significant decline in bushfire incidents in Dasang and Kparaboug.

Mr Saaka said research showed that more than 684,000 hectares of land were destroyed annually by bushfires in Ghana, with the northern savannah regions being the worst affected.

He said FONAR, working with GNFS and the Ghana Education Service (GES), had implemented several bushfire awareness campaigns targeting schoolchildren, farmers and community

leaders.

The training of the volunteers, he added, covered the fire triangle, fire weather, suppression techniques and community sensitisation approaches. The Executive Director appealed to government to review the current bushfire law (PNDCL 229) to align it with modern community-based fire management practices.

ADOI Awuni Akolgo, the Nabdam District Fire Commander, praised the volunteers for demonstrating courage and a willingness to serve.

He said the collaboration between GNFS and FONAR since 2023 had yielded substantial gains in community fire safety, making the passing-out ceremony a milestone in the district’s efforts to reduce fire outbreaks.

Mr Akolgo acknowledged that the volunteers would face challenges, including limited logistics and unpredictable fire patterns, but urged them to remain committed.

He called on community members to support the volunteers by reporting fire hazards, participating in fire drills and adhering to safety measures, adding that fire prevention was the shared responsibility of all residents.