- 50-community member trained in alternative livelihood support.
? 20 community members trained in guinea fowl production.
? 30 women trained in shea butter processing.
? 5 tour guards formed and trained.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Community awareness on biodiversity conservation, International Water Protection and effects of climate change
Policy Impact
Contribute to the impllmenetation of national biodiversity startegy.
Inovative Financial Mechanisms
Development of community-based ecotourism system.
Project sustainability
Ecotourism established and managed by the people will sustaina the project
Linkages gef projects
Linked to Northern Savannah Biodiversity Conservation Project of GEF full
Policy Influence
Local policy formulated to manage biodiversity along the Black Volta Ecosystem
Notable Community Participation
The Zukpiri community is already actively participating in activities of protecting the ?Tang Kpang? sacred grove, conserving biodiversity and promoting eco ? tourism free to tourists for the past five (5) years. The community also has the Zintang Healers Association, which champions the protection of medicinal plants for the past 15 years within the sacred grove. The activities are made possible due to the community?s reliance on indigenous knowledge of conserving the environment.
During the project implementation the community will provide labour for tree planting, weeding, nursery establishment, and where labour is needed for the project. Incentives will be given to community members who participate actively in the project activities. As a commitment the community has made five hundred (500) hectares of land available for the project. However, the project hopes to acquire lease for the land. The community will be involved in the project design, implementation, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation
Planning non gef grant
The project has applied to USAID for support.
Replication of project activities
The project is being replicated in other communities
Capacity - Building Component
The project will train the communities to undertake tree planting as business? They will learn fire management techniques and management of seedling nursery efficiently to supply seedlings on sustainable basis.
Traditional health delivery to the community members will be improved by training the local communities.
? Cooperate with tourists who will be visiting the community
Gender Focus
Women would be trained in shea butter processing
Project Results
Awareness creation
As part of the activities the Zintang Healers Association organised public education programme on Radio Upper West FM and Radio Progress. The educational programme aimed at sensitizing the entire population of the Upper West Region and beyond on environmental problems including: recurrent wildfires, indiscriminate tree felling for fuel, sand winning, and creation of burrowed pits and inappropriate farming practices, soil erosion, land degradation, low soil fertility, low crop yields, loss of biodiversity (particularly medicinal plants), poverty, and disease among others.
Radio Programmes
Weekly radio programmes are held with Radio Upper West and Radio Progress in English Language and Dagaare and Sissali on Wednesdays and Thursdays respectively. The topic discussed over the first two quarters included wildfires, restoration of degraded lands, stream catchments area protection, medicinal plants, establishment of natural regeneration sites, tree planting and nursery establishment. The discussions highlighted the harm being caused to the environment by unsound human activities. In all 32 radio programmes have been organized.
Results
By virtue of the educational programme, many people in the region are now aware of the repercussion of unsound environmental practices on their lives. Feedback reaching us from the affected communities indicates that they will actively participate in activities that are geared towards biodiversity conservation.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The oversight committee now became known as the Project Management Committee. The compositions of the PMC are the chiefs of Zukpiri, Siiruu, Nanville, Meguo, Namuo and Takpo. Also included are the head hunters and farmers (both crops and animals) as well as women leaders engaged in various economic ventures in the communities mentioned.
The function of the PMC include among others the following:
? To enact bye-laws for implementation and ensure their strict observance.
? To cause the appropriate sub-committees to be formed in each community.
? To work closely and cooperate with national and international environmental experts, agriculturists, and other anciliary agencies involved in biodiversity and disseminate information to and from beneficiaries.
THE BYE-LAWS
The bye laws were enacted in consultation with the farmers, hunters and the women and youth leaders. As soon as the bye laws were enacted they were immediately communicated to all the affected communities and took immediate effect. The bye laws are however not exhaustive and could change as and when necessary. They are stated hereunder:
1. Any person or group of persons found in the forest destroying or trying to destroy it will attract a penalty of one goat, three fowls and seventy thousand cedis each for the landlords according to the traditional rules of the community. But wherever, a victim proves adamant, the landlords shall hand over the person to the appropriate law enforcement agency for the law to take its course.
2. Any person or group of persons found in the forest destroying or trying to destroy it will be fined an amount of twelve cedis (GHC12) one sheep and one white fowl by the chiefs.
3. The committee safeguarding the forest, herein referred to as the forest committee, shall fine any person or group of person destroying or trying to destroy the forest an amount of one hundred cedis (GHC100.00).
4. Any individual or group of persons found in the forest destroying or trying to destroy it shall pay a penalty not less than two hundred cedis (200,000.00). A culprit who fails to pay this fine shall be handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agency for the law to take its course.
Beneficiaries discussed the laws among themselves and concluded that they were detrimental enough to deter the people from degrading the land.Curently beneficiaries are reverting back to the ways their ancestors once employed in controlling the misuse of the environment. These are now being communicated to all for adaptation in addition to the modern methods now being taught them.
THE SUB COMMITTEES
These sub committees were formed to implement the programme for biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihood:
? Anti-wildfire prevention and management committee
? Nursery committee
? Forest guards committee
? Livelihood Support Committee
NURSERY COMMITTEE
ESTABLISHMENT OF TREE NURSERY
A tree nursery was established to raise seedlings for creating a multi-purpose woodlot in all the affected communities and for reinforcing the ?Tang Kpang? sacred grove. Prior to the establishment of the nursery some selected community members were trained in nursery establishment and management.
Training
A team of dedicated and hard working youth and women from the affected communities were trained in nursery establishment and management. Participants were trained in viable seed identification, seed selection and collection, poly pot filling, seed nursing and general nursery management. They were also trained in site selection, site preparation, and qualities of soil for poly pots, sowing and watering. The training took place at Zukpiri.
Nursery Establishment
The nursery measured about half an acre and is well protected form encroachment. Thirteen thousand, one hundred and forty seven (25,700) seedlings of various plant species have been raised in the nursery. Of these one thousand, two hundred and ninety four (1,294) seedling have been transplanted.
Seedlings transplanted in the medicinal garden, and forest reserve
No Plant Species Number of seedlings transplanted
1 Cassia flower 500
2 Grafted mangoes 500
3 Tamarind 500
4 Mahogany 200
Total 1700
Seedlings on the nursery bed
No Plant species Number of seedlings
1 Casia flower 4,000
2 Mahogany 1,000
3 Jatropha 10,000
4 Eucalyptus 4,000
5 Neem 5,000
6 Total 24,000
Labour for seed collection, site preparation, fencing, poly pot filling, sowing, watering, and transplanting of seedlings was done through collective labour.
Result
The Project Management Committee with support from the nursery sub committees working in close cooperation with the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture have been able to train beneficiaries with no prior knowledge in agro- forestry to acquire skills in nursery management. They are now well experienced in the art of nursery and transplanting and may not need too much supervision.
THE ?TANG KPANG?SACRED GROVE
There are four (4) sacred groves in the catchments area. The groves are Tang Kpang, Tulomo, Masirandan and Takpo Wulaa etc.
The entire sacred groves in Zukpiri and its environs are the only remaining patches of natural vegetation in the community. The groves serve as abodes of the gods of the community and play important roles in the religious life of African traditional worshippers. The natives often seek prosperity and long life and in return pay sacrifices in the form of animals and cash.
However the ?Tang Kpang? sacred grove is rich in terms of flora and fauna and has long standing water ensconced in the mid portion of the grove. Its cool nature makes it unique as it serves as a place for relaxation. The grove has the potential of becoming a major tourist attraction. It is in recognition of this that the grove is being reinforced with a number of trees. Currently tamarind and mangoes seedlings have being raised and transplanted in the grove.
RESULT
The grove is revered by the inhabitants and the action taken to reinforce it is seen by the people as a major attempt by GEF/SGP to promote their tradition and religion. Beneficiaries have expressed interest to cooperate with GEF/SGP to protect and give a new life to the grove for posterity.
ANTI-WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT SQUAD
Training of fire squad
A team of Ghana Fire Service with distilled experience in fire combat was contracted to train some selected young men and women in the art of prevention and combating wild fires. The training lasted about one (1) week. At the end of the training programme trainees were made to go through a mock fire fighting exercise. The Project Management Committee also went through the theoretical aspect of fire prevention and combat.
At the end of the exercise the head of the team was satisfied with their performance. Additionally the fire officials recommended that the fire volunteers be made to repeat the mock exercise regularly so as to keep them alert and fit at all times. The head of the training promised that he will keep the fire volunteers abreast with new trends in fire fighting. Fire fighters trained were given assorted accoutrements for fire fighting. These included Wellington boots, hand gloves etc.
RESULTS
And on the spot fire fighting brigade is available in all the communities. The beneficiaries have therefore created safety nets in the various communities to prevent an outbreak of fire.
MULTI-PURPOSE WOODLOT
Introduction
The Project Management Committee met and discussed the establishment of a utility woodlot for the benefit of the affected communities and the nation at large. Consultations were made with various ministries, departments and agencies as well as the natives of each community to identify the range of plants that needed to be planted.
PLANTED SPECIES
A total of 10 hectares was planted with useful plants in Zukpiri and its environs. Takpo has the highest acreage. The plants included medicinal plants, fruit trees and fuel wood. The diversity of the woodlot has the potential of attracting different types of wild animals. The ponds and pool within the woodlot will stock various fishes to supplement the protein needs of the people.
Medicinal Plants
Herbal medicines have long been used by the inhabitants of Zukpiri and its adjoining villages to treat various diseases. As Zukpiri and its environs do not have primary care centers herbal medicines will provide an immediate first aid for sick persons before being sent to the nearest health post.
Fruit trees
The savanna has not been home to citrus and other popular fruits. But it has different varieties of fruits which are noted to have lots of vitamins and minerals. The people of the savanna depend on these to supplement their vitamin needs. Unfortunately, the people have unconsciously destroyed these fruits through bush burning, thereby denying themselves of vital food nutrients. The inclusion of fruit trees in the reserves will not only provide them with vitamins but will also provide them supplementary income through the sale of fruits in the Wa Municipality.
