QLA Global Jury member, others tour Ghacem QLA project sites

Members of the Global Jury of Ghacem’s on-going Quarry Life Award (QLA) competition and their counterparts from the National Jury as well as National Executives of the QLA have toured project sites of the participants.

Dr. Erasmus Owusu a member of the Global Jury, who is a member of the National Jury representing Ghana, was on the tour.

The tour took the joint-team to the Beposo and Yongwa quarry sites of the leading cement producer, GHACEM Ltd, where the finalists chose to conduct their research.

Participants, Emmanuel Taye and Daniel Cudjoe undertook their projects at the Beposo quarry in the Western Region, while Messrs Jonas Dwomoh, Michael Owusu-Tweneboah and Masen Koranteng– chose the Yongwa quarry at the Eastern Region.

The QLA is a global competition organized by Heidelberg Cement (HC) Group to source ideas towards the effective regeneration and management of biodiversity in all its mining sites across the globe.

Heidelberg Cement operates more than 100 cement plants and over 1,000 quarries in more than 40 countries.

Ghana, represented in this case by GHACEM, is one out of the countries participating in the QLA competition.

Mr. Kwabena Labi Addo, QLA National Coordinator who briefed the press on the objective of the visit also emphasized it will afford the Jury members and National Coordinators a fair view and practical insights of what the contestants are doing on site

“We are also fortunate to have a member of the International Jury, Dr. Erasmus Owusu who is a Ghanaian and a National jury member as well to be on the trip to provide proper coaching to the participants,” he said.

Dr. Erasmus Owusu, who is a Conservation Biologist and Head of Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon commended the contestants for making good progress, observing that this year’s competition was very competitive as such participants needed to be innovative to gain recognition.

“As jury members we are also interested in scientific rigour, practicality, transferability and feasibility of a research as key highlights” he said.

He urged the contestants to increase the tempo and make Ghana proud by emulating successes brought by fellow Ghanaians during the 1st and 2nd edition of the competition.

A National Jury member, Mr. Yaw Kwakye, Head of Climate Unit at the Forestry Commission described the research in this year’s competition as having great potential and of significant relevance for environmental quality and restoration of degraded quarry sites.

Mr. Emmanuel Amoako, Quarry Engineer of Yongwa who ushered the entourage round the Yongwa Quarry was optimistic the enthusiasm and commitment the participants show on the site will make them put up a good show at the world stage.

He expressed delight with the QLA Initiative observing that “upon interaction with the communities around the Quarry site, their perception was that Quarry activities permanently destroy farm lands but with the onset of the research competition they now know that Ghacem through this campaign will restore lands back to its original state.