Problem Identification
Due to the rapid expansion of agricultural activities in the past 30 years, the contradiction between economic development and the loss of ecosystem services has become an issue of increasing concern in the area. Watershed and riparian vegetation along the banks of the Afram River have been degraded through land use practices which have negatively affected water supply and water quality. The last two decades have seen years of significant decline in stream flow of these rivers affecting the domestic water supply of many cities and towns drawing water from these river sources (Barlertey, 2014). Water pollution from the use of herbicides and organic associated with agricultural activities have affected aquatic plants and fish species through turbidity from increased sediment load. Our historical trajectory of agricultural and industrial development has largely overlooked or disregarded many of these ecosystem services. The socioeconomic conditions of the fringe communities, particularly the women, who form the bulk of fuelwood gatherers and subsistence farmers within these water basins, have worsened. Current trends in ecosystem degradation necessitate greater recognition and improved stewardship of essential ecosystems if human wellbeing is not to be systematically undermined.
To reverse the situation for a sustainable economic environment, the project seeks to promote Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) principles, with community participation, awareness creation and provision of alternative livelihood technologies. In the long term, the project would reverse the on-going degradation of the watershed ecosystems and improve the living conditions of the communities that depend on them. Full participation by local resource users is a necessity in an integrated watershed approach. While watersheds exist at different scales, most often it is made up of resource-poor smallholder farmers whose livelihood activities impacts directly or indirectly on the watershed catchment area. To realize the benefits from watershed management, co-operation of all resource-users is needed, including downstream communities that are affected by land uses upstream.

1.5 Main Project Objective
To improve forest and tree management practices by local food and cash crop farmers, and forest reserve managers to reduce forest loss and degradation in landscapes outside the Afram Headers Forest Reserve for biodiversity conservation and livelihood development.

1.5.1 Specific Objectives
? To maintain and restore integrity of water catchment vegetation through awareness creation and capacity development
? Promote climate smart sustainable agricultural practices within the watershed landscape
? Provide alternative livelihoods as incentive

1.6 Project Strategy
The following approach would be followed in carrying out the assignments in the project area. A field visit will be conducted at the initial stage. The visit would create opportunities for exchange of information within government authorities and other key stakeholders of the project. To fulfill the objectives of the project, a multifaceted approach will be adopted to undertake capacity needs assessment and awareness gaps of stakeholders, collect and analyse existing documents on environment, water resources, socio-economic, etc., identify the proposed hotspots with support from the community, assess the opportunities and challenges of the project activities, appraise possible support and participation of stakeholders to the project. Techniques such as discussions, interviews, and focus group meetings will be held using Participatory Rural Approaches to collect information on critical issues which are principal to project success. A series of discussions, consultations, review sessions, and consensus building activities opened up spaces for the stakeholders to proactively input into existing capacities and training needs assessment.

The project would undertake community durbars and outreach programmes to educate especially forest fringe communities on the benefits of forest and biodiversity conservation. Focal persons will be identified from project communities to discuss the modalities for collaboration. These processes are expected to help ensure that the concerns, views and experiences of people are taken into consideration during implementation and reviews. The project will look beyond just participatory to collaborative approach. The term ?collaborative? refers to participation in natural resource management that is pluralist and based on mutual learning, exchange and negotiation among actors with diverse interests and concerns, including technical experts and policy-makers. The principal focus of project activities is to Integrate watershed protection within Afram Headwaters through community involvement in reforestation. All trainings and workshops will be conducted using participatory methodologies to ensure that information is transmitted in an accessible language and evaluations will be conducted in order to understand the level of skills and capacities developed by the different spectrum of participants during and at the end of the project. The project will carry out training workshops or forest extensions to improve institutional capacity and community awareness. It will be a process oriented by nature since our methodology works through a step wise approach to learning, adapting and implementing forest management techniques, and organizational strengthening.

1.7 Project Outputs
1. 50 ha of agroforestry landscapes restored through climate-smart practices in agroforestry corridors.
2. 30 ha of agricultural landscape put under organic agriculture
3. 100 farm families supported to invest in livelihood enterprise development

FIRST QUARTER REPORT

i. 20 ha of degraded lands has been identified, demarcated, mapped and restored
ii.6 publicity and warning sign posts have been erected at strategic locations within the project area
iii. Fifty (50) individuals, 39 males and 11 females have been identified and selected from six(6) communities and have been well educated on proper farming methods such as farm sanitation
iv. Fifty (50) farming groups as well as fifty (50) WATSAN members have been selected with help of the forest district and local authorities and had been duly trained for the respective activities
v. 50 wellington boots and 50 cutlasses have been distributed to the participants.

SECOND QUARTER REPORT

i. Fifty (50) individuals, 39 males and 11 females have been identified and selected from six(6) communities and well educated on proper farming methods such as farm sanitation
ii.20 ha of degraded lands have been identified, demarcated, mapped and restored
iii. 50 individuals (from the 6 project communities) have been educated and sensitized on the buffer zone policy and district assembly bye-laws on sanitation and conservation
iv. 6 publicity and warning sign posts have been erected at strategic locations within the project area

THIRD QUARTER REPORT

I. Stakeholders consultations were successfully carried out on educational materials
II. 1,000 training manuals distributed to stakeholders
III. Project results and lessons have been disseminated