DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT AREA:

Dupare is a farming community located 24km east of Wa off the Wa-Bulenga road in the Wa East District. The people are mostly farmers who directly depend on the land for their livelihood. The Dupare forest is used to be a safe haven for wild animals in the area. It has also become a pastoral land for domestic animals in the dry season. The community forest reserve covers an area of 300 acres and was created by the chiefs and people of Dupare as a natural regeneration site to conserve endangered wildlife species and medicinal plants. Since its establishment species of wildlife have migrated to the reserve as a result of the gradual restoration of its ecology. The reserve has favoured the growth of medicinal plants, which are now harvested for use in the entire Eastern Corridor of Dupare.

The members of the project are the entire Dupare community. The Chief of Dupare in collaboration with EPA-Upper West Region manages the project. EPA has been educating the community on biodiversity conservation, and the chief organizes labour for the creation of fire belts around the reserve at the end of every rainy season. The chief and people of Dupare Traditional Area have collectively kept vigilance on the reserve.
.2.2 Problem Statement:

In the Dupare traditional area, land and forest supports livelihood of over 5,000 people. The forest cover serves as the habitat of wildlife and the source of other wood and non-wood forest products. Increasingly these resources are being lost. Land has degraded to an extent that desert-like conditions now prevails in some parts of the tradional area.

The increasing land degradation and depletion of wildlife in the Dupare traditional area are attributed to annual ritual wildfires, unsustainable farming practices, excessive woodfuel harvesting, uncontrolled hunting, and general community apathy towards environmental issues. The attendant destruction of vegetative cover and habitat loss have resulted in drying up of water bodies, destructive storms, loss of indigenous medicinal plants, loss of biodiversity, increasing soil erosion, depletion of soil fertility, low crop yields, poverty, gender inequality, and seasonal out migration. Uncontrolled hunting worsens the depletion of wildlife in the area.

3.2 MAIN OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the project is to promote sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation through the introduction of soil improvement technologies, creation, and management of natural regeneration areas, protection of the water catchments areas, and protection of wildlife and promotion of community-based eco-tourism for the socio?economic development of the people.

3.3 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the project are:

1) To promote sustainable land and natural resource management led by local initiative and self help activities in the community through the conservation and sustainable management of wildlife.
2) To promote eco-tourism through wildlife conservation.
3) To conserve indigenous medicinal plants.
4) To increase forest cover in the area through forestation and reforestation to serve as a carbon sink.
5) To motivate local communities in the area to participate in forest conservation and carry out environmental enhancement activities with a view to increasing revenue, restoring biodiversity, and increasing vegetative cover.
6) To promote alternative livelihood support and reduce pressure on the forest as a source of livelihood.

2.4 Project Justification:

The project is in line with GEF?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 National Tourists Board?s efforts to promote tourism for the development of the people. Besides, the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with all districts in the region have launched vigorous campaign against wildfires and all its forms to protect the environment to alleviate the poverty of the people. The Ministry of Lands and Forestry and EPA have 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.

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:

The intended results of the project are:

The intended results of the project are:
1) General Awareness Created on Wildfire Management Enrichment Planting, Controlled Hunting, Soil Fertility Improvement and Appropriate Farming Methods.
2) Environmental awareness level raised from the present 40% to 60%
3) An 11,000 tree seedling capacity nursery established
4) Raised and transplanted 150,000 seedlings in Dupare
5) Existing community reserve expanded from the present 300 acres to 600 acres, which will include the establishment of an additional 300-acre community reserve.
6) Three Anti-wildfire Volunteer Squads formed in Dupare
7) Trained 120 Anti-wildfire Volunteer members
8) Community rules and regulations enacted and enforced.
9) Habitat of wildlife improved in Dupare and its environs.
10) Hunting controlled in the project area
11) Appropriate farming methods adopted by 70% of farmers in the project area.
12) Alternative livelihoods in fishing, grass cutter rearing and bee-keeping practiced

4.0 PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Various project activities will be carried out to achieve the project goal and objectives. These are enumerated below:

Output 1 General Awareness Created on Wildfire Management Enrichment Planting, Controlled Hunting, Soil Fertility Improvement and Appropriate Farming Methods.

4.1.1 Organize Community Fora in three Communities

The project will organize community fora in three (3) communities in the Dupare traditional area to create and raise awareness, change attitudes and behavior of the people to contain wildfires, stop hunting in the project area and contain other environmental problems. Fora will be organized during the first quarter of the project with resource persons drawn from EPA, MOFA, FSD and GNFS.

4.1.2 Compile Community Profiles of Beneficiary Communities
Profiles of beneficiary communities will be compiled during the first quarter of the project. The profile will provide in-depth baseline socio-economic data on land use options, priority needs, and areas of emphasis and for applied research. It will also serve as a database on Dupare for the project management team. EPA- Upper West Region will provide resource persons for this exercise.

4.1.3 Form and Launch a Project Management Committee (PMC)

A project management committee will be formed to organize the communities to carry out work on the project. Members of the Project management Committee will be drawn from women groups, farmers, hunters, carvers and weavers, livestock owners, commercial farmers and business people. This is to ensure that the project incorporates the interests and concerns of different groups of people. The PMC will be formally launched in the first quarter of the project and will accomplish its task in collaboration with the Traditional Council, Wa East District Assembly, and EPA-Upper West Region.

Output.2 Community Forest Reserve increased from 300 Acres to 600 Acres, Woodlots established and Agro forestry practices introduced..

4.2.1 Establish Community Nursery

An 110,000-seedling capacity community nursery will be established in Dupare to raise seedlings for planting in the existing reserve and the new one that will be created. This will be carried out during the second quarter and resource persons will be drawn from EPA and FSD.

4.2.2 Reinforce Existing Community Reserve and Create Additional 300 Acre Reserve

The Dupare forest reserve would be rehabilitated through enrichment planting with seedlings from the community nursery. An additional 300-acre reserve will be created and enrichment planting carried out. The Tindamba (Landlords) of the project area will set aside land for the establishment of the reserve. Survey Department will be contracted to demarcate the reserve within the first quarter of the project. The Project Management Committee (PMC) and Anti Wildfire Volunteer Squad will protect the reserve from wildfires, encroachers, and poachers. The community reserve will be created during the third quarter of the project.

4.2.3 Establish 10ha Multi-Purpose Woodlot and Fodder Bank

A multi-purpose woodlot and fodder bank will be established to provide fodder for livestock and fuel wood for the community in order to reduce pressure on the forest for fodder and domestic energy. Fast growing trees will be propagated in the woodlot. Seeds of suitable forage species will be broadcast to grow in the woodlot as feed for livestock. The activity will be carried out within the third quarter of the project with resource persons from EPA, MOFA and FSD.

4.2.4 Sink a Well to provide potable water for humans and animals

A well will be sunk and fitted with a hand pump to provide water for watering seedlings, young trees planted in the reserve and woodlot, and for watering animals. The well will be sunk during the first quarter of the project and resource persons will be drawn from EPA, Survey Department, MOFA and Pronet North (NGO).

4.2.5 Establish Agro forestry in Farms of Interested Farmers

The project will encourage at least 50 farmers to establish agro forestry to improve soil fertility and reduce pressure on the forest for wood and non-wood products. This will take place during the third quarter with resource persons from MOFA, FSD and EPA.

Output.3 At least 100 local farmers trained in appropriate farming methods and alternative livelihoods

4.3.1 Build the capacity of 70 Farmers in soil fertility improvement technologies

Training will be organized for 70 farmers in the project area to adopt appropriate methods of farming and incorporate soil management into farming. This will maintain soil fertility, increase yield per unit of land and reduce extensive clearings for farm expansion. This will be carried out during the second quarter with resource persons from MOFA.

4.3.2 Train 20 youth farmers in aquaculture

The project will encourage fish farming among the youth farmers as an alternative source of livelihood. Twenty (20) interested youth farmers would be trained in fish farming, including fishpond construction and appropriate methods of fishing to avoid the depletion of fish stock. Most of the seasonal streams in the community would be used as fish ponds. This will be done during the fourth quarter with resource persons from MOFA.

4.3.3 Train 20 women in improved shea butter extraction

Training will be organized in shea butter extraction and bee keeping for women and other interested community members to reduce their dependence on wildlife and other forest resources as a source of livelihood. This activity will be carried out during the fourth quarter with resource persons from MOFA and Christian Mothers Association.

4.3.4 Train 20 farmers in improved beekeeping

Output 4 Enact and Enforce Community Rules and Regulations on the Environment

4.4.1 Enact Community Rules and Regulations to govern the community forests

The chiefs and people of the communities in the project area will enact Rules and Regulations on the environment. Among other things the rules will prohibit poaching and wildfires in the Dupare Reserve. This will be done within the second quarter and resource persons will be drawn from Department of Wildlife.

4.4.2 Enforce Regulations on Hunting

The project management committee will, among other functions enforce hunting regulations. This will be done throughout the project period.

4.4.3 Form and Register Hunters? Association

All hunters in the project area will be registered to form a Hunters? Association. The Association will be a target group for education on wildfires, wildlife breeding, endangered wildlife species and hunting laws. The Association will be formed during the second quarter of the project.

4.4.4 Form 3 Wildfire Volunteer Squads and Train 120 members

An Anti- wildfire Volunteer Squad will be formed to serve as a watchdog committee and ensure responsible environmental behaviour. A training programme will be organized for them in fire fighting and first aid techniques. They will be issued ID cards and given Wallington boots. Resource persons will be drawn from GNFS, EPA and FSD. The squad will be formed and trained during the second quarter and refresher training will be organized annually.