PROJECT LOCATION BACKGROUND

Sukpere traditional area is located in the western corridor of Wa West District of the Upper West Region and on the shores of the Black Volta River, which also serves as the boundary between Ghana and Burkina Faso. The traditional area is made up of six communities namely Sukpere, Oli, Dabo, Nyowri, Guyire and Baaron. The total population of the traditional area is about 18,500

The vegetation of the area is the guinea savanna, characterized by open grassland with isolated trees. The commonest trees in the area are shea and Dawadawa. It is generally a low-lying topography with a cliff, the ?Mane overlooking the Black Volta River and is a habitat of herbs, monkeys, butterflies, different species of birds such as partridges and wild guinea fowls. The area also has a huge potential for bird, snake and monkey watching.

Farming is the major economic activity in the area. The area is endowed with sandy loam and fertile alluvial soils of the Black Volta flood plain. Crops cultivated include millet, guinea corn, beans, groundnuts, bambara beans and yam. Animals reared are cattle, sheep goats and poultry. There is vast land in the area, which can be obtained for development projects.

THE PROBLEM ANALYSIS
Increasing biodiversity depletion in the Sukpere traditional area and its environs caused by human activities and land degradation has led to depletion of soil fertility, low crop yields, loss of herbal plants, and siltation of water bodies, lost of biodiversity, wildlife and reduction in tree population. These pose a great threat to the protection of the Black Volta and tourism potential of the area. The problems persist due to the break down of community rules and regulations, population increase and ignorance on the part of the community on the consequences of their actions on the environment.

In the past when community rules and regulations were held in high esteem, the biodiversity of the community was flourishing well. During the time different species of herbs were easily accessible for herbal formulation and administration. There was high concentration of animal diversity and various animals could easily be found in the sub catchments area of the Black Volta River, which was protected. Modernity as well as religious beliefs has eroded the strong traditional beliefs that used to protect the environment. All the taboos that helped protected the environment can scientifically be explained now. As such the barrier to traditional environmental protection has been seriously tempered with. At the moment the biodiversity depletion has taken a rapid downward trend and needs immediate intervention to contain the current threat if faces. If the current trend of events persists, in future the Sukprer traditional area stands the chance of loosing pristine biodiversity and the potential of the Black Volta River.

The project is in line with government?s efforts to conserve biodiversity and protect international water bodies for the socio-economic development of the people. Additionally, it is in line with ministry of Health?s programme to combat challenging and emerging diseases with herbal medicine. Also it falls in line with Ghana tourists boards efforts to promote tourism for the development of the people. Besides, the EPA and the Upper west regional coordinating council in collaboration with all districts in the region have launched a vigorous campaign against wildfires in all forms to protect the environment and alleviated the poverty of the people. The ministry of lands and forestry and EPA has encouraged all communities to preserve the environment to increase the fertility and subsequent crop yield for food security. Globally the project will help reduce green house gases generated from the cooking with biomass, which is the main source of wood fuel for majority in the world. As such the project will help minimize climate change.

MAIN OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this project is to develop community capacities and enhance their opportunities to invest in sustainable land management, livelihood development, improved market access and trade as a way of ensuring poverty reduction within the context of the United Nations Convention to combat desertification in the Wa West District.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
The specific objectives of the project are:

- To develop and sustain the capacities of Seven rural communities to identify innovative strategies, procedures and opportunities to create incentives for increasing community investment in sustainable land management through market access and trade and through compensation for ecosystem services and promote policy on the incentives and enabling conditions that could contribute to enhance sustainable land management.

- To assist rural communities to restore degraded lands through integrated water and soil management, community based forest woodlot/agro-forestry, wildfires management, natural regeneration establishment and enrichment planting.

- To support sustainable livelihood enterprise development as compensation for the provision of ecosystem goods and services through the processing natural resources to enhance sustainable land management

PROJECT OUTCOMES

The implementation of the project will produce three main outcomes:

1) Capacities of local people in Sukpere traditional area developed for sustainable land management and conservation of natural ecosystem of the degraded Black Volta basin.

2) Local communities within Black Volta Basin supported to invest in sustainable land management and Conservation Black Volta Basin Ecosystem.

3) Natural resource-based enterprises and alternative livelihood support systems developed.

Outcome 1: Capacities of local people in Sukpere traditional area developed for sustainable land management and conservation of natural ecosystem of the degraded Black Volta basin

The component activities will seek to develop institutional capacities at community levels to sustainably manage land and conserve natural resources for wealth creation, poverty reduction, and livelihood improvements. Particularly at the local community levels, the project will support the strengthening of existing effective traditional and local systems, structures and services to foster local development and management and to create an enabling environment where private, civil society and community initiatives can flourish. In addition, the project will support the promotion of sustainable land management (including conflict resolution mechanisms) and planning frameworks at the community levels.

Under this sub-component, the project will strengthen the delivery of services, which are fundamental to support sustainable land management and natural resource management, development and conservation initiatives and support the improvement of the delivery of formal and non-formal education and awareness creation programs, emphasizing on the role indigenous knowledge play in sustainable use and conservation of natural resources. The project will strengthen natural resource-based/farmer-based producer and trade associations operating at the community levels.

The community capacity building in land management is sensitive to local priorities. The project will therefore support the formation and strengthening of community land management committees, and activity-based interest groups based on indigenous management structures. At locality levels the project will support the establishment and running of resource management support centres to demonstrate new technologies, train community level groups and learning ground for the academia. Each resource centre will have catchment(s) area(s) of service.

Outcome 2 Seven local communities within Black Volta Basin supported to invest in sustainable land management and Conservation Black Volta Basin Ecosystem

The Component aims at mobilizing six communities to secure existing natural and environmental resources endowments while creating additional stocks through sustainable land management practices, natural regeneration, woodlot and plantation establishments, reintroduction of threatened species and restoration of vegetation cover as well as measures to prevent and control desertification. The Component will focus on activities that would reverse the current damaging production patterns and promote sustainable development of natural resources and protection of biodiversity by involving key stakeholders including civil society organizations, traditional authorities, forest dependent societies and forest fringe communities.

Key areas of support would include:

? Implementation of effective management strategies and action plans to prevent rapid degradation of the savannah woodland, wildlife and water resources as well as biodiversity and specifically soil and water conservation, de-savannization, wild fire control and bush meat exploitation;

? Protection of areas of significant ecological importance including Sacred groves and riverine forest along the Black Volta and other areas with high biodiversity heat index including natural habitats known to contain plant species with medicinal and food qualities;

? Strengthening conflict resolution mechanisms and strategies in natural resource management by building upon traditional as well as new institutions and authorities to reduce insecurity amongst particularly the rural communities and increase opportunities for successful economic activities;

? Promotion of participatory community-based land use planning. It is considered crucial that a land use plan that clearly indicates the suitability of the various segments of the land for different kinds of uses is formulated to provide information and to guide informed land uses at community levels. This is to ensure best uses of the land resources of the area for food security and maintenance of a balance between physical development and preservation of the integrity of the environment that provides the enabling conditions for the development of food security strategies and physical development.

The component will implement effective watershed and catchments area management and conservation strategies that will ensure the long-term availability of water resources for agriculture, industry and human consumption and maintenance of healthy ecosystem. It will seek to reinforce common property management systems with the dual objectives of alleviating poverty and improving the management of land, water, pasture and forest resources. It will attempts to link agricultural and forestry services aimed at productivity increase on individual and communal farm plots. The main activities to be supported under this component will be to:

- Rehabilitate and manage community lands through soil and water conservation measures, improved pasture and forest and woodland management
- Conserve and manage community common lands as dedicated forest reserves through natural regeneration, enrichment planting, fire protection, and sustainable harvesting of natural resources.
- Promote water harvesting techniques to ensure all-year round water for farming.
- Broaden the scope of agriculture extension to encompass environmental and civic education
- Manage watershed resources and keep headwaters under continuous cover of trees and associated vegetation
- 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.
- Support traditional authorities with training and resource to form and operate local fire management and control units. Encourage the introduction of early burning systems in high fire prone areas. Use would be made of the Non-formal educational facilities and local FM stations to embark on aggressive educational campaign on bushfire prevention.
- Train and assist farmers to adopt improved technologies in soil fertility and reduction of farm erosion. Some of the technologies to be adopted and promoted include preparation and application of composting, soil bonding, crop rotation, mulching, preservation and development of indigenous and threatened crop varieties and adoption of agro forestry farming techniques.
- Promote integrated nutrient management (INM). This is an approach of soil fertility management that combines organic and mineral methods of soil fertilization with physical biological measures for soil and water conservation. However the choice of the INM would depend on market situation, the price ration of inputs and outputs, availability of inputs, alternative use of organic materials, labour cost and farmers? knowledge.
- Support water management in drylands. This involves the construction of small-scale irrigation schemes managed by individuals or groups of farmers based on traditional water management systems. The institutional arrangement would be communal ownership with the owners being active and committed participants in the project design and implementation.

OUTCOME 3: Natural Resource-Based Enterprise Developments and Livelihood Support

This component will provide support in achieving efficiency in the production, processing and marketing of products and services (both tangibles and intangibles) extracted from the savannas and other ecological systems in the northern region. In addition, it will provide support for diversification of sources of rural income and interlinked development of farm, natural resource-based and non-farm activities that can reduce rural poverty. The project will support technologies that can combine, for instance, low input agriculture and forestry (including wildlife, wood fuel production) and innovative rotations to improve food security, rural income and reduce poverty.

The project will support the development of viable small to medium-scale village enterprises that can be engaged in wild animal domestication/establishment, harvesting, production, processing and marketing of non-timber forest products including live animals, bush meat, wood fuel, honey and bee waxes, shea butter, plant-based oil, medicinal plants, herbal medicines etc. The project will provide funds through the establishment of a micro-financing window.

Nature-based tourism in Sukpere would support to diversify rural sources of income, shape their economies and reduce rural poverty. The project will support measures that can mainstream nature tourism businesses to link up with small enterprises supplying goods or services, help rural communities start and operate small-scale eco-tourism businesses built around community assets such as ?community dedicated reserves? sacred groves and sanctuaries. The project will also provide support for the development of entrepreneurial capacities and managerial skills of small and medium-sized enterprises and local people, and training to the poor to improve their employment opportunities in businesses that serve the eco-tourism industry.

Special emphasis would be given to the following management practices and technologies

1. Development of Non Timber Forest Resources

? Training programmes will be organized for farmers to learn and develop skills in the cultivations/propagation practices for alternative crops like gum Arabic.
? Training of traditional medicine practitioners in appropriate techniques of maintenance, harvesting, storage and packaging of traditional medicines for enhanced sales.

2. Development of livelihood support

Training programmes will be funded for farmers/local entrepreneurs to learn cultivations/propagation practices for alternative crops. Local business people will be assisted in small ruminant production for animal protein on one hand and organic manure on the other hand for home gardening and vegetables.

PROJECT OUTPUTS:

The project intervention will produce four main outputs as follows:

Output 1
- 100 rural farmers from seven clusters of rural communities trained and supported to identify innovative strategies, procedures and opportunities to invest in sustainable land management.

Output 2
- 100 ha of degraded lands within the Black Volta Basin restored through integrated water and soil management, agro-forestry systems, wildfires management, natural regeneration establishment, enrichment planting and woodlot establishment.

Output 3
- Three rural enterprises supported to develop sustainable trade initiatives and markets through oil processing; integrated livestock/small ruminant rearing; development of fodder and feed banks; commercial fruit plantation and honey production.