DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT AREA:

The Weto Mountain Range is part of the Akwapim Togoland range, and stretches from Kpeve in the South Dayi District to Avatime in the Hohoe district.
The problem area consists of the degraded portions along this range, and preliminary surveys have identified 27 communities whose activities have been detrimental to the environment. The community members in this area are predominantly farmers growing cassava, yam, maize, fruits, cowpea, and vegetables.

2.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Over the years, this portion of the range has seen a rapid reduction in its forest cover. The causes of this deforestation are multiple. First, the range has provided fertile farmland for local farmers, but through non-sustainable agricultural practices, such as slash and burn and extensive farm rotation, trees are being cut down and the land is being degraded. Secondly, bush fires- both accidental and intended for hunting- have been a common culprit of deforestation and loss of wildlife and biodiversity. Lastly, the activities of chainsaw operators have done great destruction to the once heavily forested range.

This loss of forest cover has affected all other natural systems of the mountain range. The Weto range serves as the watershed of streams whose water flows into river Dayi, a tributary feeding the Volta Lake. The depletion of the forest cover has also led to the perennial drying up of these streams and the resultant drop in the volume of their water discharge. Furthermore, hunting of animals for game and the loss of their habitat, has led to a decrease in the animal population. Animals like monkeys, duiker, wild boar, honey berger, antelope and some birds like parrots, owls, and woodpecker which used to be found there, are virtually absent today. The chainsaw operators and other human activities have destroyed trees like Odum, Mahogany, Afram and herbal plants that are very useful to the people.

Another result of the loss of vegetation is the reduction in the amount of rainfall. The once savannah woodland of the plains has become grassland. As a result of this, the poverty rate among the communities is rising since they depend on the rain and the environment for livelihood and survival.
Additionally, the area is prone to landslides, and the memory of the slide that occurred in 1933 in Have, a community situated at the foothills of the range, is still in the citizens? minds. Fortunately, no lives were lost due to this natural disaster; however, people need to become aware of their responsibility to protect this mountain range and repair the environmental degradation resulting from human activity, and to do their part in the prevention of additional disasters.

Through these destructive land-use practices we observe a negative cycle, since these communities will in turn increase the rate of destruction of the ecosystem. Citizens living near the mountain range are overly dependent on the environment for their livelihoods and sustainable alternatives must be made available to them.




2.3 PROJECT GOAL

To restore the vegetative cover of the range and to sustainably harness its resources for the socio-economic transformation of the people.

2.3.1 Objectives:

The objectives of the project are:

- 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.
- To establish community resource management area and promote community-based integrated natural resource management approaches.
- To introduce agroforestry and sustainable land management practices to the communities living at the foothills of the mountain.
- To support livelihood activities that are compatible with sustainable management of the mountain range.
- To harness the ecotourism potential of the Weto mountain ecosystem.

2.4 Project Justification:

Over the years, EDYM has held meetings with the Traditional Authorities of the communities. It was agreed during our deliberations that the environmental problems are alarming and that concerted efforts must be made to salvage the area. It is becoming increasingly critical the role of local communities in natural resource management and biodiversity conservation in Ghana. It is now widely acknowledged that the success and long-term sustainability of conservation initiatives depend on support and acceptance of such interventions by the local communities. It is also clear that local people will only support conservation initiatives if they see concrete benefits and improvements to the quality of their lives.

In the past, biodiversity conservation in Ghana was seen as the responsibility of the State, although the traditional authorities had constituted traditionally protected areas (sacred groves) for religious and cultural reasons. The traditionally protected areas are guided by traditional norms and regulations, which have, stand the test of time. Most rural Ghanaians depend largely on the traditionally protected areas for food, shelter, health, livelihoods and many other aspects of their existence. As a result, areas continue to be degraded and shrink in size. Some have even been converted into farm and other landuse. Most wild animal species are becoming increasingly threatened by the demand for bushmeat, and the local populations who depend on wildlife resources are becoming poorer and poorer.

Ghana has adopted a Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS), which represents comprehensive policies to support growth and poverty reduction in the county. Under the strategy, the government intends to create wealth by transforming the structure of the national economy to achieve growth, accelerated poverty reduction and the protection of the vulnerable and excluded within a decentralized, democratic environment. The GPRS focuses on providing the enabling environment that will empower all Ghanaians to participate in wealth creation and to partake in the wealth created.

This project aims at supporting the strategic initiatives to support the GPRS by:
? Improving forest and wildlife resources through equitable sharing of management responsibilities and benefit flows to local stakeholders, especially the rural poor.
? Improving governance in the public sector such as participation, transparency and accountability.
? Mainstreaming collaborative resource management (CRM), by promoting the rights of farmers other marginalized groups building capacities and strengthening local organizations and institutions and
? Improving the community voice through the creation of a forestry fora network across the country to provide a space for interaction and give communities a voice; multi-stakeholder involvement in management planning; and the establishment of customer service centres in all the districts to improve service delivery.

Under the Third Operational Programme of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Ghana intends to promote community-based initiatives that simultaneously conserve the environment and promote sustainable development through the implementation of local, community-based projects. The programme seeks to encourage and promote community ownership and involvement in the management of forest and wildlife resources. Weto traditional , the proposed project area, is one of the few traditional areas in Ghana who have demonstrated commitment to take up a lead role in managing their natural resource heritage for the benefit of their people and the country as a whole.

Global Environment Benefits

The proposed project would result in multiple global, national, and local environment benefits, within the context of sustainable development. These benefits would include: (a) conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity of the mountain range ; (b) prevention and/or control of pollution of major river systems from illegal activities and domestic waste; (c) prevention and/or control of degradation of watersheds through unsustainable land use practices; (d) minimization of carbon emission from shifting agriculture and the use of inefficient wood stoves; (e) improvement in carbon sequestration through improvement of vegetation cover; (f) provision of alternative economic livelihoods for communities in the traditional area; (f) rise in community awareness levels in environmental management and conservation
.
3.0 EXPECTED OUTPUTS:

There are three main results expected with successful implementation, and will reflect the justification of the project:

? Education and awareness on the need to protect Weto Range created in five traditional areas

? Alternative sustainable livelihood activities introduced to 200 farmers in the Have Traditional Area

? Efficient woodfuel stoves introduced to reduce the use of forest resources for energy

? 120 ha degraded areas along the Weto Range regenerate the forest cover and restore biodiversity

? Community ecotourism development initiated




4.0 PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Output 1 Education and awareness on the need to protect Weto Range created in five traditional areas

Activities
- Hold forums with Traditional Authorities (T.A.s) and entire community on the projects, its objectives and people?s roles and responsibilities
- Create Community Project Committees (CPCs), of 2 women and three men from each traditional area, to organize community members for educational programs
- Hold capacity building workshops for 35 CPCs to empower them to be in leadership positions
- Facilitate outreach programs to 27 communities addressing environmental issues
- Registration of farmers in 27 communities along the Weto range
- Air radio discussions about the project

Output 2 Alternative sustainable livelihood activities introduced to 200 farmers in the Have Traditional Area

Activities
- Discuss with communities the viable alternative livelihood options for their area and perform a needs assessment to learn where the interests lay
- Develop programs to train in alternative sustainable livelihood activities of their choosing (i.e. snail farming, grasscutter breeding, vegetable cultivation, mango grafting, etc.)
- Host workshops to give skills trainings in various activities
- Establish micro-credit facility for seed capital/ sourcing for financing
- Monitor individual projects addressing concerns when needed
- Host workshops on marketing, records keeping and accounting
- Host workshops on processing of products
- Create woodlots for fuel needs


Output 3 Efficient woodfuel stoves introduced to reduce the use of forest resources for energy

Activities
- Train five members from each community in the manufacture of energy efficient cook stoves

b. To reduce the incidence of bushfire
- Educate 27 communities on menace of bushfire
- Establish local bush fire regulations with TA?s and the D.A. for each traditional area
- Formation of task force in each of the 7 traditional areas to enforce anti-bush fire by-laws
- Host workshops for capacity building for 7 anti- bushfire squads
- Provide task force with logistics for performing their responsibilities (boots, cutlass, clothing)



Output 4 120 ha degraded areas along the Weto Range regenerate the forest cover and restore biodiversity

Activities
- Discuss with 27 communities the types of trees they are interested in
- Acquire tools, equipment for nursery establishment
- Acquire seeds, cuttings, stems and other materials
- Establish nursery at Have
- Host workshops in nursery establishment and maintenance
- Maintain and expand EDYM Village nursery to supply seedlings to Have,
- Host workshops in reforestation and tree growing
- Plant trees along degraded portions of the range (120 ha)
- Educate 27 communities on importance of biodiversity
- Host workshops on medicinal plants identification, uses and protection
- Hold educational forums in each community to educate and create awareness on appropriate hunting methods (i.e. close-season, etc.)
- Create task force to regulate hunting

- Hold meetings with T.A.s to create laws with District Assemblies, Forestry, Environmental Protection Agency and other stakeholders
- Monitor the enforcement of these by-laws

Output 5 Community ecotourism development initiated

Activities
- Create trails on mountains for hiking to attraction sites and caves.
- Train tour guards in Have

5. RISKS:

Potential risks for the project include the non-compliance of illegal chainsaw- operators and/ or hunters, as some may not agree with the conservation philosophy. This will hopefully be addressed with awareness creation and the formation of by-laws and tougher regulations for such activities in the area; however, the possibility of rebelliousness still exists. Other risks include outbreak of natural disasters in the area such as fire or severe drought that will have an inevitable effect on the environment, farming systems, and the lives of those in the communities. Another potential risk is the timing of the funds released to coincide with the appropriate seasons to hold trainings, establish nurseries, release micro credit funds,