The project addresses problems in land degradation and desertification control focal area of the Global Environment Facility. The project is a re-settlement area after the construction of the Akosombo Dam along the Volta River. More than 60% of the area are badly degraded due to unsustainable agricultural practices; annual bush burning and uncontrolled wildfires; uncontrolled sand winning, excessive harvesting of woodfuels; poor water conservation and soil fertility management due to shortened fallow periods; loss of arable lands due to inappropriate land use practices and weak institutional capacity for sustainable development.

The project seek toinvovle the local communities in land restoration and sustainable management and use of natural resources. The activities to be carried out under project are:

1. Formation and training of Community Natural Resource management Committees to be functional in the project communities. The project activities will organize participatory fora and durbars in the target communities and assist them to form nine-member Community Natural Resource Management Committees. The Committees would be trained in natural resource management techniques, community mobilization and record keeping. Exchange visits to other project will be organized for the committee to learn best practices.

2. At least 60% of the local farmers would be sensitized and trained to implement a community-based integrated bushfire management and land management practices that incorporates indigenous knowledge and practices. Activities under this component will include the formation and training of community fire management squads, training in fire prevention techniques, construction of fire belts around sacred groves and fire prevention and management education

3. Local community-level rules and regulations on land management and sustainable natural resource exploitation formulated and documented. Project activities will focus on assisting the Traditional Authorities and the communities to revise and formulate traditional rules and regulation governing natural resource management. The rules and regulation would be documented and sent to the District Assembly for gazette.

4. At least 15 people from each f the three communities would be trained in tree nursery management to operate the nurseries on commercial basis. The project will establish one central nursery and two flying nurseries to assist the communities to raise the needed seedlings for planting. The project will train 15 people from each community to own and operate the nursery on commercial basis to sustain the project. The trainees will be given additional training as knowledge and information disseminators.

5. Participatory landuse plan would be developed to guide land management in the project area. The project will assist the communities to establish natural resource management areas and formulate guidelines on the management of the area. The area will be surveyed and mapped and the communities would be assisted to formulate landuse plans to guide the management of the area. The land use plan will identify natural regeneration areas to be managed by the community, areas to be planted as woodlots and agroforestry management areas, riverine forests to be protected and degraded lands to be rehabilitated.

6. The project will assist each community to identify at least 15 ha of degraded lands and put it under natural regeneration. The area will be surveyed and protected from wildfire

7. Soil erosion controlled along all slopes. The project activities will include the identification of all already and potential eroded areas and assist the communities to rehabilitate them. The project will introduce Water and soil fertility techniques including bunding, contour farming, planting of vertiver grass and other appropriate species will be planted along the slopes.

8. All sacred groves within the CREMA will be brought under effective collaborative management. The project activities will support, the conservation of the sacred groves by the establishment and planting of buffer zones and enforcement of traditional rules and regulations.

9. 15 hectares of woodlots will be established in the three communities. The project beneficiaries would be assisted to establish woodlots on individual or family lands to provide for their woodfuel needs. Commercial woodfuel producers will also be assisted to establish and own woodlot as a resource base for their operations.

10. The project will train households and commercial and industrial producers on the construction and use of improved woodfuel stoves. AT least two people from each community will be trained as a trainer in the construction and maintenance of improved woodfuel stoves.

11. Farmers would be organized into trust groups and trained in the application of agroforestry, and organic farming. Trained farmers will be introduced to composting and the use of organic pesticides in farming especially in the production of vegetables.

12. The project will assist the beneficiaries to set up small business enterprise development and alternative livelihood activities to enhance biodiversity conservation. Under this component the activities to be pursued will include the introduction of the setting up of small businesses including food processing, snail farming, honey production, rabbits, and grasscutter rearing. Women would be assisted to trade in non-timber forest products, and to develop local businesses to enhance biodiversity conservation.