BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT AREA

Adawukwao and Osae-Krodua are two known traditional settlement in the Awutu- sub District traditional area in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District in the Central Region of Ghana which also lies in the Coastal Savanna zone. Adawukwao is about 15 kms drive from Kasoa to Bawjiase about 30 minutes drive which is the Central of about nine other settlements which include Osae-Krodua, Jei-Krodua, Akofful-Krodua, Fiankom, Ofrijato, Korleman, Bawjiase and Topiase with a total population of about 10,540 inhabitants.

Potential for Development

In the Adawukwao and Osae-Krodua areas are varied resources available which could be developed and turned the area into Ecological zone, with that of Osae-Krodua area being the major focus area. These resources span the physical/natural, historical and cultural realms. These include the following;
• Okuafo Obosum hill forest at Osae-Krodua with unmeasured size of about 320 acres and about 350 feet high which has Tuesdays as the taboo days from entering the forest. Monkeys and other wild animals and different variety of medicinal plants that cures all kinds of disease and ailments such as elephantiasis, chronic sores, asthma etc are currently found in this forest.
1. The Abrewa-Wenfo hill forest at Adawukwao also with unmeasured size of about 640 acres and about 240 feet high of which Fridays are the Taboo days of entering into the forest.
• Rocks which provide drinking water to the people all year round through the ground which appears in two different sources as a collection points with local name as “Ahuwabia” and “Npaatadee”
• Medicinal plants for waist pains , measles, convulsion among others

The “Okuafo Obosum” and “Abrewa Wenfo” traditionally protected hill forests are remnants of tropical high forest along the coastal savanna area with unique plants trees and animal species. The two natural heritages are Central in the general environment conservation efforts of areas that are rapidly losing its natural systems – such as their traditional beliefs and religion also being loss.

The “Okuafo Obosum” hill forest is situated at about one and half miles away from the community. It has high forest trees such as wawa, odum, odanta, kwasi poby and onyina. It also has native medicinal plants and animal species with local names such as Amabosum, atiaadua and ankye among others. It also has a clear signs of having been the habitat of varied animals such as antelopes, monkeys, deer, kankani and all type of snakes especially python, tortoise and dwarfs.

The “Abrewa Wenfo” hill forest literally meaning “old women watchwomen” is located about half a mile from the community on the right side of the main road from Kasoa to Adawukwao to Bawjiase road. It also used to have a high forest trees such as onyina, esan, odanta, wawa, odum and emery. It also use to have plant and animals species such as monkeys, parrots, afafranto and medicinal plants with local names as Kakaduku, Aboadro, Nyamedua, Ahum bosom, Wintiwinti and oheye which cures all kinds of diseases. They may be further linked to the globally significant biodiversity conservation area at Ahirasu about 5 kilometres from Adawukwao.

The two communities considering the rate at which their forests reserve are being depleted has already initiated moves to replants the degraded areas by applying for seedlings support from the Forestry Service Division. The chief of Osae-Krodua has also banned farming around the forest and felling of trees in the forest. With the initiative of the two communities as stated above it should be possible to begin work immediately on the “Okuafo Obosum” and “Abrewa Wenfo” hill forests as a complementary support towards their efforts of restoring their depleted hill forest.

The Problem Statement

Rural communities in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District including Adawukwao and Osae-Krodua communities has been depleting their traditionally protected natural resources (Sacred Groves) through human activities such as rampant tree felling for timber, lumber, fuel wood and charcoal burning. These activities which includes bush fires setting by farmers and hunters for wild bush meat and farming activities has led to loss of vegetation cover and biodiversity as well as climatic change which is making our lagoons and other water bodies to dry up as well as changes in our rain fall pattern leading to low food crop production (low food security). The current situation of the traditionally protected natural forest resource of Adawukwao and Osae-Krodua is alarming especially that of Abrewa Wenfo forest at Adawukwao. The forest resources have been depleted thus leading seriously to loss of the locally traditionally conserved biodiversity. The human activities has also led to land degradation and deforestation which has led to loss of indigenous species such as medicinal plants, native orchards and other economic tree species.

The outcomes of these destructive activities have been increased in poverty and rural urban migration among the productive resource youth and women as well as low level of development, agricultural productivity and Agro processing. This has become the bane in the two communities and in the area. Recent attempts to help reverse the trend so far have not impacted positively and significantly on the lives of the people especially on women engaged in gari production and the youth. There is therefore imminent collapse of the social, economic and rich cultured fabric of the people.

The current state of the two hill forest therefore calls for immediate and integrated interventions approaches to curb down the trend, hence community social mobilization, awareness creation/education, capacity development and empowerment, promotion of Agro forestry practices, improved wood fuel stoves and creation of livelihood support assets is all that is needed to help restore the degraded areas, conserve biodiversity, promote sustainable biodiversity-based small business enterprises and other alternative livelihood activities to help protect, manage and sustain their environment towards maximization of poverty among the people.

Project Goal/Objective and intended result

Project Goal

The goal of the project is “to sustainably manage the Abrewa Wenfo and Okuafo Hill community forests to safeguard genetic diversity of indigenous species, enhance protection of critical areas of endemic plant species and enhancement of off-reserve landscape outside the Global Significant Biodiversity Areas.

Project purpose

The purpose of the project is to develop the capacities of local community groups to mainstream biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of off-reserve landscape into community level development, promote small business enterprises that promote sustainable utilization of biodiversity.

Project Immediate Objectives
a. Organize series of community awareness and educational programmes on importance of biodiversity conservation and utilization, and on dangers and effects of land degradation, deforestation and bush fire settings.
b. Develop the capacity of the local people in Agro forestry practices, sustainable livelihood support assets creation which include wood fuel stove production and uses techniques and sustainable management of community natural resources to reduce poverty
c. Re-plant degraded areas around and within the Adawukwao (Abrewa Wenfo) and Osae Krodua (Okuafo Obosum) hill forests, to restore and preserve the natural lands, population of animals and cultural beliefs/Religion
d. Promote and create sustainable livelihood support assets (food security, good health, gender equity in income generation, Agro forestry practices and access to sustainable supply and use wood fuels (livelihood activities that support and sustain local biodiversity conservation and future community based eco-tourism development) for local community groups.
e. To train and support 150 community members and project participants to practice and undertake Agro forestry activity
f. To train 120 women in improved wood stove production and utilization techniques
g. To 270 individual community members and the community to establish their own woodlot plantations and to undertake other alternative livelihood activities.
h. To establish tree seedlings nursery to produce and supply tree seedlings for Agro forestry and woodlot plantations.
i. Strengthen the capacity of YAAMDA to plan, implement, manage, monitor and evaluate CBNRMP as well as to help achieve the needs of the local people better through training, logistics and equipment support.

Expected Project outputs

a. Capacities of two community groups developed to mainstream biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of off-reserve landscape into community level development activities.
b. Degraded areas around and within the Adawukwao (Abrewa Wenfo) and Osae Krodua (Okuafo Obosum) hill forests replanted with indigenous species to restore and preserve the natural lands, population of animals and cultural beliefs/Religion
c. Community-based enterprise with direct linkages to biodiversity conservation supported in Osae-Krodua and Adawukwao communities.

Planned Activity
• Sign project contract agreement (MOU) with GEF/SGP
• Train community focal community focal person
• Form and train community based natural resource management committee
• Organize 4 sensitization with key stakeholders on their roles and responsibilities
• Survey and demarcate degraded areas around and within the 2 forest for re-planting of indigenous trees and plants
• Select, prepare nursery site and start tree seedlings production for reforestation
• Organize two (2) community awareness creation/educational programmes deforestation and bush fire setting and on importance of tree growing.
• Organize four (4) community awareness creation/educational programmes on the importance of conserving protecting and sustaining our local biodiversity/utilization and on eco-tourism potentials and benefits
• Train community members in identified alternative livelihood / Agro forestry
• Mobilize community members in tree growing activities by planting trees around the two community forests (Odum, neem, moringa, acacia, teak, caccia) and other native plants.
• Mobilize and assist community members to continue planting trees, caring, protecting and making fire belts
• Train 120 women in improved wood fuel stove production and utilization technique Osae-Krodua
• Assist communities and project implementation participants to establish livelihood projects by supporting them with inputs/micro-credit
• Support community members to continue to plant trees care and protect them
• Officially hand over the project management to the 2 project communities management committees
• Document on best practices in sustainable land management prepared and disseminated fodder bank