The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, says active leadership of traditional authorities is key in the fight against plastic pollution and environmental degradation in the country.
According to her, the success of environmental policies, including the campaign against styrofoam and single-use plastics depends not only on laws and institutions, but also on the influence of chiefs and communities.
Professor Browne Klutse made this known at Abeadze Dominase on Saturday, while addressing the durbar marking the 30th anniversary of the enstoolment of the Paramount Chief of the area, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII and the Ahobaa Kese Festival 2026.
“Traditional authorities are and remain indispensable partners to the EPA in this space. The success of environmental policies depends not only on the laws and institutions, but also on active participation, leadership and influence of traditional authorities and communities,” she stated.
The EPA boss said when the Paramount Chief ascended the royal stool 30 years ago, communities were protected by strong “traditional values where forests, water bodies and farmlands were treated as sacred inheritance for future generations.”
She said those values of stewardship, discipline, communal responsibility and respect for nature have weakened, leading to growing challenges of plastic pollution, improper waste disposal and degradation of water bodies.
“As you celebrate this important anniversary with us, may it also serve as a call to revive those enduring values that defined our society in times past,” she told the gathering.
On the current national campaign to eliminate styrofoam, she stressed that it should be seen as more than a regulatory intervention.
“It is a call to change in attitude, protect our environment, safeguard our drains and water bodies, improve public health and promote sustainable alternatives,” she explained.
She assured that the EPA will continue to lead in environmental governance, public education and pollution control, but will increasingly rely on traditional authorities to drive attitudinal change at the grassroots.
She praised the Paramount Chief for demonstrating responsible stewardship throughout his 30-year reign and said his legacy offered a model for community-based environmental protection.
The anniversary durbar was also used to officially announce the establishment of the Abeadze Trust Fund. Professor Browne Klutse who served as the Chairperson for the durbar, made a personal donation of GH₵10,000 as seed money.
