Some experts have warned the government against the over-reliance on the country’s natural resources as part of its commitment to move the country beyond aid.
The warning comes as the latest World Bank report; shows environmental degradation is costing the country more than 12% of its GDP.
A resident country representative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Burkhardt Hellemann revealed this at a natural resource breakfast meeting organized here in Accra.
The Natural Resource breakfast meeting was organized by the Institute of Green Growth Solutions on the theme, Ghana Beyond Aid, the role of Natural Resources.
Mr. Hellemann said natural resource should not be prioritized as key to development in the country.
Also, Director of United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), Dr. Elias T. Ayuk, underscored the need to strengthen capacity in natural resources management in Africa.
He indicated that, in as much as human beings have to depend on nature for business and food, the impact of their activities on the environment have to be mitigated.
The UNU-INRA Director bemoaned how business activities, particularly in the extractive industries, have led to challenges, including freshwater scarcity, overexploitation of oceans, pollution and climate change.
Dr. Ayuk appealed to government to integrate environmental values into their corporate strategies, and put in place monitoring and evaluation systems to reduce the risks of their operations on mankind and nature.