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Sekondi-Takoradi on the Brink: Monkey Hill Under Siege as City Faces Rapid Forest Decline

Sekondi-Takoradi, the Western Region’s bustling industrial hub, is sounding the alarm as its last remaining forest resources come under increasing threat from urban expansion, deforestation, and unchecked encroachment.

Date Created : 12/23/2025 : Story Author : Ghanadistricts.com

With most of the metropolis already consumed by residential, commercial, and industrial development, the city’s green cover is shrinking at a pace that has environmental experts deeply concerned.

At the heart of this growing crisis is Monkey Hill, the metropolis’s only surviving forest reserve and a cherished eco tourism sanctuary. Once a thriving habitat for wildlife and a natural escape for residents, Monkey Hill is now battling rapid encroachment as human activity pushes dangerously close to its boundaries. Conservationists warn that if the trend continues, Sekondi-Takoradi could lose its last true forest — a loss that would be felt for generations.

Beyond Monkey Hill, the metropolis relies heavily on its mangrove ecosystems around the Essei Lagoon, Butua Lagoon, and the Whin Estuary. These mangroves serve as natural shields against coastline erosion, protect marine life, and help stabilize the environment. But they too are under pressure from pollution, land reclamation, and unsustainable harvesting.

Environmental observers caution that Sekondi-Takoradi is inching toward a future where forest resources may disappear entirely, leaving the city more vulnerable to flooding, erosion, biodiversity loss, and rising temperatures. The consequences, they say, would be severe — both environmentally and economically.

Stakeholders are calling on the Forestry Commission to intensify enforcement of forest protection laws within the metropolis and to ramp up public education on the importance of preserving green spaces. Without swift and decisive action, the Twin City risks losing the natural assets that support its ecological balance and tourism potential.