Problem Statement

The communities living in this part of the district are faced with very few options of economic activities. The area is prone to frequent crop failures due to the poor climatic conditions caused by extensive destruction of forests which has subsequently destroyed all the water catchment areas. In addition the condition is made worse due to continuous cutting of trees for either charcoal or firewood. Charcoal and firewood form the biggest source of fuel for cooking in this area. There is therefore the need for alternative sources of energy that will be able to address the above problems. This project seeks to reclaim the tree cover along the relevant water catchment areas and encourage the community use alternative sources of energy

Baseline Threats to Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Management:
Biodiversity in northern Ghana is faced by many non-climate change pressures, including human population pressure. The northern part of the country is the most densely populated, and numbers are increasing. This may lead to overuse of natural resources, ecosystem and biodiversity. The high poverty levels still pertaining in northern Ghana exert non-climate related pressures on the environment. The income distributions in the targeted districts are extremely skewed with a large part of the population living in poverty. People living in poverty depend strongly on natural resources and my be forced to overuse resources in order to meet their daily demands.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND INTENDED RESULTS
PROJECT OVERALL GOAL:

The overall goal of the project is to promote collaborative sustainable land management practices in the Binduri community through capacity building of farmers on innovative strategies for sustainable land management, introducing farmers to sustainable livelihood activities and developing access to market opportunities locally and globally.

PROJECT RATIONALE
The project responds to the GEF Operational Strategy objective of supporting ?communication and outreach that promote better public understanding of the global environment, mobilize people and communities to protect the global environment. The project seeks to encourage and promote community ownership and involvement in the management of forest and wildlife resources. River White Volta, 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 whole.

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT BENEFITS
The proposed project would result in multiple global, national, and local environment benefits, within the context of sustainable development. These benefits would include:
? conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity
? prevention and/or control of pollution of major river systems from illegal activities and domestic waste
? prevention and /or control of degradation of watersheds through unsustainable land use practices
? improvement in carbon sequestration through improvement of vegetation cover
? provision of alternative economic livelihoods for communities in the traditional area;
? Rise in community awareness levels in environmental management and conservation.
? Provision of alternative livelihood enterprises
? Capacity building of key stakeholders and beneficiaries group

PROJECT OUTPUTS

The following outputs are anticipated by the completion of the project

Output 1
150 ha of degraded lands along the White Volta in the Binduri Community demarcated and put under sustainable land management through soil and water conservation, tree growing and natural regeneration interventions to enhance soil fertility regeneration

Output 2:
200 farmers from Binduri community received training and support to identify innovative strategies, approaches and models to link trade and livelihoods to sustainable land management

Output 3:
200 indigenous farmers identified, trained and supported as Community Trainers (?lead farmers?) to lead sustainable land management interventions, investment opportunities and promote local institution strengthening towards self-help with continuous community commitment and participation after end of project phase.

Output 4
Improved capacities of the community through formation/strengthening of CBOs/ SHG in the management of natural resources

Output 5
Sustainable Land Management Projects will approach prevention
of land degradation through promoting activities in Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in two inter-related types of interventions: capacity building and implementation of innovative and indigenous SLM practices

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Project Output 1:
Demarcation of land. 150 ha of degraded lands along the River White Volta in the Binduri Community demarcated and put under sustainable land management through soil and water conservation, tree growing and natural regeneration interventions to enhance soil fertility regeneration:

Facilitate and prepare participatory community land-use plans

Planned Activities;
The community of Binduri would be assisted to prepare land-use plans using participatory tools such as resource mapping, community mapping, transect diagram and group discussions. The focus of the land-use plans would delineate clearly agricultural lands from grazing lands, woodlot plantations, settlement lands and lands for natural regeneration. The Peoples Initiatives for Community Transformation would provide resource persons for the implementation of this activity. Resources persons would come from EPA, MOFA, FSD and Survey Department.

Facilitate the formation of sustainable land management committee

To ensure a successful implementation of the project and a total ownership of the project by the people of the community, a seven member land management committee would be formed. The committee would be trained and empowered to organize periodic community fora to promote environmental awareness, change attitudes and behaviours of the people to address environmental problems. 60% of membership of the committee would be women while the remaining 40% of membership represents men. The committee would organize at least one community fora in each of the sections of the Traditional Area to introduce innovative strategies, approaches, and models in sustainable land management to the people. Resources persons would come from EPA, MOFA and FSD

Demarcate 100 ha of degraded common land and place it under natural regeneration and enrichment planting

The project has already organized community sensitization meetings where discussions were held between the chiefs and people about this activity. The chiefs and people indicated their willingness and commitment to the implementation of the activity to rejuvenate the already degraded lands, especially abandoned degraded sites after illegal mining activities. A 100ha of degraded lands of marginal and unproductive areas would be demarcated and place under natural regeneration. Tree species like neem, teak, cassia and leucaena seedlings would be nursed and distributed to the farmers to plant on such degraded lands. The community has agreed to protect the demarcated area from annual wildfires and encroachment by farmers for farming activities. The activity would be implemented with technical assistance by the Forestry Service Department, Ghana National Fire Service and Community Facilitators to be selected by community project beneficiaries and trained as ?lead agents? of community development. The community would be assisted to formulate policies to manage trees planted on common lands so that the benefits that will accrue, will be for the entire Binduri community. Resources persons would come from EPA, MOFA, FSD and Survey Department

Establish Community Tree nursery

A community nursery of 100,000-seedling capacity will be established under the project by the Binduri farmer community groups to supply seedlings to all interested farmers in the community. The central nursery will provide multi purpose and economic tree seedlings (indigenous and exotic; organic mango, cashew, shea, dawadawa, moringa etc) to be supplied to interested farmers with available land. Project groups of 6 (3 men and 3 women) comprising 90 women (30 per group) and 75 men (25 per group) will be trained as nursery managers to look after the nursery. The nursery will generate additional income for the project from the sale of economic tree seedlings. The project will also assist local level entrepreneurs with training, materials, simple tools and equipment to operate their own nurseries to produce the needed planting material. The project would support the introduction of improved planting materials. The activity will be done with resource persons from EPA and FSD.

Promote Agro forestry including economic tress among indigenous farmers

In order to protect the surface soil from annual gully erosion and also to enhance soil fertility regeneration, the project will support indigenous farmers of the project area to incorporate agro forestry on their farms using multi purpose and economic tress such as moringa, grafted mangoes, leucaena and other nitrogen fixing plants. The idea is to protect soils erosion and provide economic value to the farmers as well and so the moringa and grafted mango plants would be encouraged for the activity. The moringa plants would reduce malnutrition among children and increase incomes among farmers. Resource persons would come from MOFA and FSD.

Promote multipurpose woodlot plantations

This activity is necessary to reduce the pressure on the remaining natural forest or few scattered trees in the community. The project would demarcate a 5ha of the degraded lands and place it under multipurpose woodlot plantations where households, especially women would harvest fuel wood and allow sloppy and very fragile area trees and shrubs to rejuvenate with time. The activity would be implemented in collaboration with the FSD.

4.1.7 Train farmers on construction and use of improved wood stoves

This activity is intended to reduce the rate of fuelwood consumption as energy source through harvesting for cooking thereby reducing the rate of depletion and pressure on the natural forest cover or established woodlots. Majority of households in Binduri use woodstoves (mudstoves) for cooking. The traditional woodstoves currently in use promotes fast depletion of tree cover. Women and children especially of households travel very long distances in search of head-load of firewood that lasts for less than a week. Ninety (90) women of the project would be trained in the construction and use of improved woodstove that uses less fuelwood and time conserving, produces less smoke and therefore less hazardous, cooks faster and less darkened cooking pots. The activity will be implemented by TRI staff trained by our counterparts TRI Togo and has since trained other women and using the technique in other project communities where TRI Ghana operates. The activity would be implemented in collaboration with MOFA & EPA.

Train and Provide support to farmers to undertake soil and water management practices along contours

The project would assist farmer groups to identify contours which will be replicated on individual farms using different levelling materials of spirit level, ?A? frame or water tube. The essence of using different levelling materials is to enable farmers to use available levelling tools in contour identification. Farmers will then be thought how to plough across contours in order to conserve water and reduce gully erosion on their farms.

The project would provide technical support to farmers to use locally available materials such as stones, earth, or grass stripping to make bunding, trenches, and burrow on their farms along identified contours to reduce surface runoff (erosion) and conserve water on their farms. Because of the undulating nature of the land, this activity is necessary to reduce the impact of run-offs. The project will place 50 ha of degraded lands in Binduri Community under stone bunding and train farmers on the use of LEISA, Soil and Water Conservation and sound environmental management techniques/practices such as compost making, Farm Yard Manure application, cover cropping and green manure, crop residue management and fodder banks among others. The action will be carried out in collaboration with MOA

Organize training for farmers on intensive wildfire prevention and management

A thirty member wildfire management volunteers? squad will be formed and trained to serve as watchdog committee to ensure responsible environmental behaviour. They will be trained in fire prevention, fighting and first aid techniques. After the training, they will be issued with identification cards, torchlight, cutlass, and Wellington boots to facilitate their work. The squads will also help the Binduri Community to formulate their own environmental rules and regulations (byelaws) to govern the protection of their environment. Resource persons will come from the GNFS and EPA.

Project Output 2:
200 farmers from Binduri community received training and support to identify innovative strategies, approaches and models to link trade and livelihoods to sustainable land management

Planned Activities:
Facilitate Community Enterprise Development

When households involved in the production of a particular commodity, there is scope to improve production and increase income. For this reason, the project will facilitate business opportunities in the area, local products with high potential will be identified. Detailed value chain studies will be commissioned to assess the economic and business environment for specific commodities. The studies will identify critical areas in the production and marketing chain of the product which can be addressed and will make a significant difference.. In general, the project will promote value adding initiatives such as agro-processing and quality improvement, by providing training for the entrepreneurs. These are the most effective means of improving marketability of commodities and enhancing returns to small scale businesses
Some examples of activities likely to be developed include:
? processing of agricultural crops e.g. solar drying of mangoes and tomatoes, preparation and storage of oils;
? non agricultural businesses ? soap making, seamstress, hairdressing, weaving, metal smiting, etc
? honey production and its by-products
? dry season gardening? tomato, onion and pepper cultivation

Local expertise will be used as much as possible and where financial investment is required (e.g. to make a solar dryer or purchase a grinding mill) effort will be made to link groups with potential donors (for example the International Women?s Club) or credit providers. Resource persons will come from NBSSI, TRADE AID and MOFA.

Train farmers on simple book keeping

The training will be in two stages. First, basic capacity development training will assist 165 farmers to have the basic skills needed to start their own business, specifically: cost-benefit analysis, pricing, profit and loss, basic money management including record and book keeping, banking procedures and credit management. Resource persons will come from NBSSI & TRADE AID, Bawku.

Provide revolving groundnut seed scheme to farmers

A revolving groundnut and soybean seed credit will be provided to 40 farmers to plant in year one. Each farmer will be given 10kg (4 bowls) each of groundnuts and soybean and expected to repay back12kg (5 bowls) each of same species after harvesting to enable other interested farmers next on the line to be reached in the second year. Resource persons will come from the MOFA

Provide farmers with improved breeds of small ruminants on credit

Small livestock provide a valuable source of nutrition and a resource to sell if cash is needed to buy food or for health / education purposes. Besides, droppings of these animals would be used as farm manure for sustainable crop production. At present breeds are not disease resistant. The project aims to increase and improve the stocks of small ruminants. Forty (40) individual farmers per year will be assisted to construct standard pens and supported with improved breeds of small ruminants through the pass-on-the-gift scheme. Beneficiary farmers will be given 3 goats or sheep (2 nannies and one kid) to rear. The beneficiary farmers will be expected to pay back the three goats or sheep (irrespective of sex ? to avoid in-breeding) to be passed on to other interested farmers on the list. Resource persons would come from the MOFA.

Link farmer trust groups to fair and ready markets

The project would assist 80 farmers to source for, identify, and exploit market opportunities for their produce. The emphasis will be on creating access to market information and linkages with existing marketing organizations Market surveys would be conducted and fair market options identified to provide ready market to farmers produce. Resource persons would come from the MOFA and TRADE AID.

Form farmer trust groups and animate

The project would identify and select indigenous farmers and put them into farmer trust groups based on the existing social capital within the community. Each farmer trust group would range from 8 to 10 members. Every farmer trust group will have a chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. Resource persons will come from the NBSSI and MOFA

Project Output 3:
100 indigenous farmers identified, trained and supported as Community Trainers (?lead farmers?) to lead sustainable land management interventions, investment opportunities and promote local institution strengthening towards self-help with continuous community commitment and participation after end of project phase.

Planned Activities:

Organize sensitization workshop on grassroots institutions development

Participatory community meetings would be held to promote the concept of Community Trainers (CTs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), and to explain how these are essential to the sustainability of benefits after end of the project. The CTs would be used as a vehicle for the formation of Community Based organizations (CBO) in future, strengthening civil society in the entire Binduri community through capacity building trainings on various modules such as advocacy and lobbying, community action planning, effective governance and leadership among others. The CBO when in place will be able to access the services to which communities are entitled and to overcome the challenges they face into the future in the absence of external development agents.

Facilitate identification of 50 CTs

The idea is to provide appropriate training and support so that a committed core of community members can act as a catalyst for development in their own communities. Project beneficiaries would be encouraged to nominate among themselves CTs as volunteers up to a maximum of 20, preferably 10 men, and 10 women. The CTs should be ?lead farmers? able to be trained to organize colleague farmers for meetings and continue support other colleague farmers by passing on acquired skills in SLM, natural resource management, business development, etc and to help develop a community-based organization in the community. The CTs would lead project beneficiaries to carry on with activities to be promoted and designed to continue beyond the life of the project

Train 50 CTs on development themes

Once the CTS are selected by project beneficiaries, TRI would facilitate and identify training needs of the selected CTs and modules developed to commence trainings. The modules will be regularly reviewed and updated together with CTs. Trainings would start focusing on technical and group formation skills, and then builds up to broader community development skills. TRI would carry out the activity.

Assist 50 CTs with Phoenix Bicycles to facilitate their work

CTs would operate as community Volunteers but may accept in-kind gifts from the project beneficiaries or community members they support. The CTs would be supported with bicycles to facilitate the work of organizing beneficiary group meetings, support, and pass on acquired skills in SLM, business development, etc to colleague farmers. The bicycles will also support community actions or errands. To ensure proper use and management of the bicycles, project beneficiaries would be encouraged to open group accounts and periodic levies or contributions made towards the upkeep of the accounts to help take care of common expenses such as bicycle repairs and maintenance. The beneficiaries will establish how the bicycles would be managed to ensure harmony among users. The CTs with support of TRI will develop their own work-plans with other project beneficiaries for possible assistance. The CTs would quarterly review their work-plans and problem solving and organize quarterly CTs meetings with other project beneficiaries to discuss their work and common issues which in turn can be raised with TRI and other partner project implementers.

Formation and trainings of Self Help Groups (SHGs)

In order to encourage the development of capital within the community the project would support the formation and development of micro-finance institutions. This strategy would target women household heads, forming them into clusters that would be trained in book keeping and assisted to establish accounts in nearby rural banks. The SHGs would also be assisted to register and be certified by the Government of India?s (Gol?s) rural banking program. SHGs would also be the recipient of seed grants to help such groups during their early formation. SHGs would play a key role in improving entrepreneurial skills and financing small enterprises.

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) & Medicinal Plants
It is proposed to prepare a separate plan for the sustainable management of NTFPs and medicinal plants both for local use as well as for the commercial markets to increase the income of the community members

First quarter
1.4 Project inception workshops held for 12 villages, 4 Orientation workshops for key stakeholders held in 12 village.
2.Established 20,000 mango seedlings established vertiver grass nurseries.
3.10 workshops for farmers on soil and water management practices