Problem Statement

Over the years this portion of the range has seen a rapid reduction in its forest cover. The causes of this deforestation are multiple. First, the range has provided fertile farmland for local farmers, but through non-sustainable agricultural practices, such as slash and burn and extensive farm rotation, trees are being cut down and the land is being degraded. Secondly, bush fires-both accidental and intended for hunting have been a common culprit of deforestation and loss of wildlife and biodiversity. Lastly, the activities of chainsaw operators have done great destruction to the once heavily forested range. With the depletion of the forest cover which also serves as water shed most rivers and streams have gradually died out or suffer massive reduction in volume.

This loss of forest cover has affected all other natural systems of the mountain range. The Weto range serves as the watershed of streams whose water flows into river Dayi, a tributary feeding the Volta Lake. The depletion of the forest cover has also led to the perennial drying up of these streams and the resultant drop in the volume of their water discharge.

Furthermore, hunting of animals for game and the loss of their habitat, has led to a decrease in the animal population. Animals like monkey, duiker, wild boar, honey berger, antelope and some birds like parrots, owls and woodpecker which used to be found there are virtually absent today. The chainsaw operators and other human activities destroyed trees like Odum, Mahogany, Ofram and herbal plants that are very useful to humanity.

Another result of the loss of vegetation is the reduction in the amount of rainfall. The once savannah woodland of the plains has become grassland. As a result of this, the poverty rates among the communities are rising since they depend on the rain and the environment for livelihood and survival.

Additionally, the area is prone to landslides and the memory of the slides that occurred in 1933 in Have, a community situated at the foothills of the range, is still in the citizens? mind. Fortunately no lives were lost due to these natural disasters; however people need to become aware of their responsibility to protect this mountain range and repair the environmental degradation resulting from human activity and to do their part in the prevention of additional disasters. Through these destructive land use practices we observe a negative cycle since these communities will in turn increase the rate of destruction of the eco system. Citizens living near the mountain range are very dependent on the environment for their livelihood and sustainable alternative must be made available to them.
Within the six beneficiary communities the following among others are the problems that have been identified.
? Non-sustainable agricultural practices
? Activities of chainsaw operators
? Bushfires both intended and unintended

Project goal

To restore the vegetative cover of the range and to sustainably harnesses its agricultural resources for socio-economic transformation of the people.

Project Objectives

The objectives of the project are:

? To create awareness of the need to conserve the mountain resources and develop the capacity of the local population in sustainable management of the mountain range.
? To establish community resource management area and promote community based integrated natural resources management approaches
? To introduce agro forestry and sustainable land management practices to the communities living at the foothills of the mountain.
? To support livelihood activities that are compatible with sustainable management of the mountain range
? To harness the eco-tourism potential of the Weto mountain eco system.
? To reclaim and restore the sacred grooves and pockets of forest reserves that serve as a source of water for the rivers and streams.


Project justification

Over the years, EDYM has held meetings with the Traditional Authorities of the communities. It was agreed during our deliberations that environmental problems are alarming and that concerted efforts must be made to salvage the area. It is becoming increasingly critical the role of local communities in natural resource management and bio-diversity conservation in Ghana. It is now widely acknowledged that the success and long-term sustainability of conservation initiatives depend on support and acceptance of such interventions by the local communities. It is also clear that local people will only support conservation initiatives if they see concrete benefits and improvement to the quality of their lives. In the past bio-diversity conservation was seen as the responsibility of the state, although the Traditional Authorities had constituted traditionally protected areas (sacred groves) for religious and cultural reasons. The traditionally protected areas are guided by traditional norms and regulations which has stood the test of time. Most rural Ghanaians depend largely on the traditional protected areas for food, shelter, health, livelihood and many other aspects of their existence. As a result, areas continue to be degraded and shrink in size. Some have even been converted into farm and other land use. Most wild animal species becoming increasingly threatened by the demand for bush meat and the local populations who depend on wild life resources are becoming poorer and poorer.
Ghana has adopted a Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS), which represents comprehensive policies to support growth and poverty reduction in the country. Under the strategy, the government intends to create wealth by transforming the structure of the national economy to achieve growth, accelerated poverty reduction and the protection of the vulnerable and excluded within a decentralized democratic environment. The GPRS focuses on providing the enabling environment that will empower all Ghanaians to participate in wealth creation and to partake in the wealth created.

This project aims at supporting the strategic initiatives to support the GPRS by:

? Improving forest and wildlife resources through equitable sharing of management responsibilities and benefit flows to local stakeholders, especially the rural poor.
? Improving governance in the public sector such as transparency and accountability.
? Mainstreaming collaborative resources management (CRM),by promoting the right of farmers other marginalized groups building capacities and strengthening local organizations and institutions and
? Improving the community voice through the creation of a forum for a network across the country to provide a space for interaction and give communities a voice,multi-stakeholder involvement in management planning and the establishment of customer service centres in all the districts to improve service delivery.
Under the COMDEKS Operational Programme of the Global Environment Facility- Small Grants Program (SGP), Ghana intends to promote community-based initiatives that simultaneously conserve the environment and promote sustainable agriculture and development through implementation of local community ?based projects. The programme seeks to encourage and promote community ownership and involvement in the management of forest and wildlife resources. Weto conservation, the proposed project area, is one of the few traditional areas in Ghana who have demonstrated commitment to take up a lead role in managing their natural resource heritage for the benefit of their people and the country as a whole.


Global Environment Benefits

The proposed project would result in a multiple, global, national and local environment benefits, within the context of sustainable development. These benefits would include:
(a) conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity of the mountain range
(b) prevention and/or control of pollution of major river systems from illegal activities and domestic waste.
(c) prevention and/or control of degradation of watersheds through unsustainable land use practices.
(d) minimization of carbon emission from shifting agriculture and the use of inefficient wood stoves.
(e) improvement in carbon sequestration through improvement of vegetation cover.
(f) provision of alternative economics livelihoods for communities in the project area.
(g) rise in community awareness levels in environmental management and conservation.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

There are three main results expected with successful implementation, and will reflect the justification of the project.

? Education and awareness on the need to protect W.0eto Range created in project areas.
? 120 ha degraded areas along the Have ?Domefe and Have-Gborxome regenerated with the forest cover and restored biodiversity.
? Alternative sustainable livelihood activities introduced to 150 farmers in the six beneficiary communities.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Output 1: Education and Awareness on the need to protect Weto Range created in the project area
Activities:
? Hold forums with Traditional Authorities (T.As) and entire community on the projects and its objectives and people?s roles and responsibilities.
? Enhance the capacity of 35 CPCs to empower them to be in leadership positions.
? Hold capacity building workshops for 35 CPCs to empower then to be in leadership positions.
? Facilitate outreach programs in the project communities addressing environmental issues
? Registration of farmers in project area along the Weto range.
? Air radio discussion about the project.
Output 2 120 ha degraded areas along the Have ?Domefe and Have-Gborxome regenerated with the forest cover and restored biodiversity.
Activities

? Support communities to expand EDYM tree nurseries to produce 120,000 seedlings for planting for agroforestry, enrichment planting and boundary planting
? Support communities to plant trees along degraded portions of the range (120ha)
? Host workshops on medicinal plants identification, uses and protection
? Hold forums with Traditional Authorities (T.As) and entire community on the projects and its objectives and people?s roles and responsibilities
? Enhance the capacity of 35 CPCs to empower them to be in leadership positions.
? Register farmers in project area along the Weto range.
? Train 100 farmers in sustainable agricultural practices
? Support the establishment of agro forestry farms for 100 farmers.
? Promote the training and establishment of demonstration farms for six crops and 2 livestock.

Output 3 Alternative sustainable livelihood activities introduced to 150 farmers in the six beneficiary communities

? Discuss with the communities the viable alternative livelihood options for their area and perform a needs assessment to learn where the interest lay.
? Develop programme to train in alternative sustainable livelihood activities of their choice (e.g. snail farming, grasscutter breeding, vegetable cultivation, mango grafting, cage fish farming etc.).
? Hold workshops to give skills trainings in various activities.
? Monitor individual projects addressing their concerns.

END OF PROJECT REPORT ATTACHED