Problem Identification

Apart from the global climate change crisis, population explosion, limited land area for farming leading to the excessive pressure inhabitants exert on the environment the follwoing are the problems identified in the area:
i. Less than 30% of the vegetation cover is now remaining.
ii. destruction of watersheds, landslides,
iii. degradation of the biodiversity (reduction in wildlife)
iv. drying up of water bodies, etc
v. seasonal food and water crisis
vi. acute unemployment of the youth leading to massive migration to big cities near and beyond Nyagbo area.

Now the area is faced with the challenges of degraded ecosystems within the Weto landscape, including watersheds, mountain forests, savanna grasslands, lakes, rivers and streams which are under duress. Lack of any conscious protections and management strategies exist for these resources, although knowledge about the ecosystem landscape features and resources is very high. Governance systems to regulate land-use for farming, biodiversity conservation and environmental security do not exist. Environmental security, safety and rate of recovery are slow due to unsustainable agricultural and climate change related underlying considerations.
The project has identified unsustainable livelihoods at the main focal problem driving the inhabitants to turn to the forest for satisfying their needs. The causes include lack of employable skills and technology for processing most of the raw agriculture produce which are mostly vegetables and fruits that abound in the area. Low agricultural production mostly caused by poor technology application by farmers and poor quality of planting materials and seeds used for cultivation is another factor making agric not a profitable business for the youth. They migrate soon after their completion of Junior High School to cities in the big towns to look for non-existing jobs. It is also noted that for lack of inputs many young people who have some skills are not able to start their own businesses to make them earn additional income to support their families. The stakeholders affected by unsustainable livelihoods include chainsaw operators, the youth, farmers, women, hunters and palm wine tappers, construction artisans, the District Assembly, the traditional authorities and schools.

Unemployment is driving able youth to turn to the forest for most of their needs. There is high level of illegal chain saw operation, wood for charcoal, hunting for bush meat, soil loss due to bad farming practices and mining of stones for sale to construction firms. The landscape though rich in natural habitats including forests, agro-biodiversity, cash crop plantations, rivers and sacred groves, they have come under severe threat of late. The conditions that have accounted for the change and dynamics in the landscape include but not limited to markets, food security and culture.

Meanwhile, survival and livelihoods of people are linked to the sustainability of this ecosystem and its resources. This important biodiversity hotspot in Nyagbo stretch of Weto to Fume alone supports some 18,000 people who depend on its resources all year round. YAFOW has been working on the Weto range with stakeholders for the past four years. This was through the Nyagbo Heritage Conservation Project supported by UNDP -GEF ?SGP in the past and has successfully addressed some of the capacity needs of the communities. YAFOW has provided the catalyst, for establishing a small scale fruit processing factory enabling the communities to process excess fruits for domestic consumption and for sale. They project has also supported Nyagbo people on the range to adopt sustainable practices in agriculture production.

However the communities continue to adopt some unsustainable agriculture production practices on Weto Mountain range especially in the cultivation of fruits trees on farms. Some of the fruits sustainably cultivated include citrus, bananas, pears, plantain, mangoes, cocoa and other fruits trees. This has lead to the creation of a Processing plant to process the excess fruits. However threats of bushfires, destruction of important sacred groves and totems persists.

Poverty is endemic. With limited knowledge and systems for resilient production, coupled with limited support from state institutions, Nyagbo communities have few alternatives for livelihoods but to depend on the limited natural resources on WMRE through excessive hunting, logging and shifting cultivation. The Government of Ghana and Wildlife Division has no management plans for the range since is considered as Off- reserve area. Therefore resource use is not within the carrying capacity of the range. Cyclic use is not consciously practiced. Basic social amenities like schools, hospitals, and electricity, water, are still limited and inadequate for inhabitants of Nyagbo Communities. The various ecotourism sites are also not popular. Promoting culture and festivals is limited and is being eroded very fast by Western Christian values.

3.0 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES
3.1 Project Goal
The goal of this project is to restore the natural forest within the Nyagbo?Fume portion of the Weto landscape for biodiversity conservation and wealth creation.

3.2 Purpose

The purpose of the project is to strengthen community skills, in biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and provide alternative sources of livelihood to reduce pressure on the mountain resources whilst reducing poverty within the framework of integrating conservation and production in the management of Weto socio-ecological production landscape.

Some of the expected results include provision of training in employable skills and technical knowledge in agro processing to the youth, provision of business start-up inputs, energy saving devices, training of farmers in ecological farming, climate resistant and improved planting materials to increase yields. The project would also promote the cultivation of fruit crop plantations as a means of putting reserved lands to better use and diversification of income sources of farmers. The project would facilitate the preparation of participatory land use plans for the target communities; build institutional squads for fire, water and forest conservation in the areas.

3.3 Project Strategy
In view of the above, the project will focus on initiating systems that will revitalize and regenerate the biodiversity in Nyagbo landscapes by promoting Sustainable good agriculture practices, strengthen smallholder entrepreneurial capacity development, support e alternative livelihoods in beekeeping on farms and develop leadership skills among farmers. The project will therefore adopt the following strategies:
i. Launch of the project: Launching of the project marks an important step in the life cycle of the project to communities. It will enable all collaborators in the project to interact with the community and to serve as publicity for the project and enhance the knowledge in the cocoa biodiversity among the communities.
ii. Consolidate baseline studies: there was an initial collection of baseline data by the Satoyama Country Strategy. The information will be used to assess the level of change after the end of the project and at project evaluation.
iii. Building systems for protection of biodiversity: the strategy will involve the strengthening of local institutions, formulation of local bye-laws based on community land use systems, developing new institutions around community assets, and building capacity to educate and enforce local laws. The community will also have the opportunity to be educated on national forest and wildlife policies. The strategy will also involve land use planning with the aim to reduce indiscriminate use of land.
iv. Promoting Good Agronomic practices on farms: Farmers in the community will be introduced to good agronomic practices on farms. They will undergo training and receive support to practice. This will involve bio-intensive fruit tree cultivation, zero tillage, soil and safe chemical management practices, cover cropping and agro forestry techniques.
v. Establishing alternative livelihood security enterprises through Apiculture): the project will also introduce alternative livelihoods programmes and establish a centre for training in these activities.
vi. Learning and sharing: Community will be exposed to similar activities such as CREMAs, sustainable cocoa farmer cooperatives to enhance farmer experience to increase enthusiasm, interest, and learning. At the end of the project, information generated during the implementation in the form of innovations and experiences will be documented and shared with stakeholders and partners.
vii. Project Development Committees: The project implementation would revolve around local project committees involving stakeholders such as assemblymen/women, traditional authorities, unit committees and religious groups. The project would seek to train and coordinate the interest, commitment and efforts of these local opinion leaders to make them more effective in the conservation of their environment. Task forces would be established and supported to operate on their mandates. They include taskforce on: 1. Water; 2. Bush fire ;3. Ecotourism resources.
viii. Innovation The project marries the ecosystem and sustainable fruit tree cultivation as sustainable strategy to protect the WMRE and promote cyclic use of resources in Nyagbo ?Fume section of the Weto range. Thus bushfire prevention, productive agriculture, processing, beekeeping, pollination services, community education, sacred grove and cave protection and sustainable livelihood development can be promoted at minimal costs by relying on the existing energies and knowledge of local communities in Ghana. Thus the inhabitants of Nyagbo ?Fume becomes the cornerstone for thriving fruit tree industry organic fruits tree and beekeeping industry around a luxuriant and sustainably Weto manage range

3.4 Specific Objectives:
i. To create awareness on the need to conserve the mountain resources and develop the capacities of the local population in sustainable management of the mountain range.
ii. To regenerate degraded mountain forest cover in the Nyagbo ?Fume cluster and conserve biodiversity.
iii. To build communities capacity for sustainable agriculture and alternative livelihoods security.
iv. To document project learning and experiences and share these with stakeholders.

3.5 Project Rationale

The rationale for the project is to contribute to:
(a) The Government of Ghana?s vision of conserving the country?s biodiversity, especially the wildlife and wetland estate, within and outside reserves; (b) The Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy II; (c) The promotion of community participation in the sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources, as enshrined in the Forest and Wildlife Policy (1994); (d) UNDP-GEF, objective of supporting biodiversity conservation activities in Ghana; and (e) To collaborate in the implementation of the local District Assembly Development Plan.

5.4 Intended Results/Outputs and Activities:
v. Objective 1: To create awareness on the need to conserve the mountain resources and develop the capacities of the local population in sustainable management of the mountain range.

Output 1.1: Participatory landuse plan adopted to guide the management of natural resources in Nyagbo Sroe, Nyagbo Odumase and Fume communities
Activities:
i. Produce educational materials for community animation.
ii. Facilitate a community forum on to discuss the land use plan.
iii. Form community landuse management committees
iv. Support communities to implement agreed landuse plan
v. Conduct outreach to schools and form environmental clubs

Output 1.2: Capacity building workshop for stakeholders on conservation of rare and endangered medicinal plants undertaken.
Activities:
i. Identify stakeholders and use of natural resources.
ii. Organize community capacity building workshop for stakeholders on conservation of rare and endangered medicinal plants
iii. Form and train Natural Resource Management Committees in each community

Objective 2: To regenerate degraded mountain forest cover in the Nyagbo-Fume cluster and conserve biodiversity

Output 2.1 Community tree nursery established
Activities:
i. Form and train nursery management committee
ii. Select and prepare site for nursery.
iii. Organize community workshops and meetings to select timber and non-timber tree species for nursing
iv. Acquire tools and equipment for nursery establishment
v. Acquire seeds, cuttings and nursery materials.
vi. Hold workshop on nursery establishment and maintenance
vii. Prepare seed beds, filling of poly bags and nursing
viii. Help community to acquire skills in nursery management through learning by doing

Output 2.2: Twenty five (25) hectares of mountain forest cover planted with timber and non-timber species.
Activities:
i. Identify and assess areas for replanting.
ii. Organize workshop on reforestation and tree growing.
iii. Distribute seedlings for planting.
iv. Monitor planting and growing of seedlings.

Objective 3: To build communities capacity for sustainable agriculture system and alternative livelihoods security.

Output 3.1: Capacity in sustainable agriculture for those with farms on the mountain area built.
Activities:
i. Engage community on the concept of sustainable agriculture.
ii. Introduce sustainable farming practice (zero tillage, contour ploughing, strip cropping, and water harvesting and erosion control) to farmers.
iii. Train farmers in agro-forestry techniques for farm Forest.
iv. Establish four community and individual on-farm woodlots as source of energy.



Output 3.2: Community sustainable agriculture demonstration farm established
Activities:
i. Assist community to choose site for demonstration farm.
ii. Engage community in farm planning and building of farm structures.
iii. Acquire equipment, tools, and planting materials.
iv. Develop curriculum for training.
v. Train community in sustainable agriculture practices. Especially zero tillage, cover cropping, soil and water management, compost making and application).
vi. Establish 5 compost boxes and 5 organic vegetable farms
vii. Monitor application of skills for sustainable agriculture.

Output 3.3: Alternative livelihoods established.
Activities:
i. Organize community meeting on alternative livelihoods
ii. Provide training in alternative livelihoods (bee-keeping, small ruminants/goats breeding, citrus farming and vegetable cultivation).
iii. Establish community alternative livelihoods enterprise center.
iv. Train community in micro business management.
v. Engage community to make rules for managing and benefiting from project.

Objective 4: To document project learning and share experiences with stakeholders.

Output 4.1: A document on Nyagbo-Fume cluster of communities? ecosystem restoration and sustainable livelihood security produced.
Activities:
i. Organize a documentation workshop
ii. Write up document
iii. Publish document.

Output 4.2: A workshop to share learning and experiences undertaken
Activities:
i. Select place for workshop and hire venue
ii. Select and send invites to stakeholders
iii. Mount pictures of project
iv. Make presentation on document.

END OF PROJECT REPORT ATTACHED