PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Bongo District is about 15kilometers North of Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly. It shares boundaries with Burkina Faso to the north. The district has a population of over 82,000 inhabitants. The entire district is stony with very little top soils.

The people are subsistent farmers, who are experiencing persistent land degradation, resulting from unsustainable agricultural practice, population pressure, indiscriminate bush-burning, overgrazing and trampling of the already infertile land by animals.

The land degradation has led to declining soil quality, long drought periods, scarcity of water, low crop yields, hunger and malnourish meat/sicknesses especially among rural children as well as extinction of wild animals and medicinal plants in the district.

A survey conducted in January, 2007, on the environmental conservation and sustainable agricultural situation in the district revealed that 90% of our water bodies, sacred groves, plant and animals (flora and fauna) habitats are being destroyed to meet human needs unsustainably.

The above strangulating information prompted the active and combine participation and involvement of all the key stakeholders in the district to reverse the issue through conservation education, enactment of community by-laws to prevent further degradation of the environment and introduction of alternative sources of incomes for farmers which will impact positively on rehabilitation/restoration of our degraded lands and promotion of biodiversity conservation.

2.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The goal of the project is to develop the capacities of local farmers in sustainable land management and agrobiodiversity practices to rehabilitate and restore degraded lands in the Bongo traditional area.

2.3 Specific Objectives:

The specific objectives to be pursued under the project are:

a. To create awareness and build capacities among local farmers on sustainable land management technologies
b. To rehabilitate degraded lands through natural regeneration and community wood lots establishment
c. Identify, train and support farmers in Village Tree Enterprise (growing, protecting and sell tree products)

2.4 EXPECTED RESULTS/OUTPUTS

The expected results and benefits include:

Output 1: Capacity of 1,000 local farmers developed in improved sustainable land management technologies

The project will be anchored in 16 out of the 32 chiefdoms within the Bongo traditional area. The project will form a Land Restoration Committee lead by the traditional leaders and compile baseline information on the selected communities and identify participating farmers. Prior to the launching of the project the traditional leaders will, sensitize and create awareness on environmental sustainability in the traditional area. The project will organize video shows during the off seasons in each of the selected communities and form fire brigades to fight bushfire during the dry season. The project will hold community meetings on participatory assessment of their farming methods during the dry season.

Output 2: 100 hectares of degraded lands restored/rehabilitated in the Bongo traditional through natural regeneration sustainable farming practices and planting of severely degraded areas.

The project will establish one tree central nursery at Zokko capable of producing 140,000 seedling annually. The project management team will identify the nursery site and mobilize the people to clear the site. Fencing materials and equipment will be purchased to fence the area. 4 nursery volunteers will be trained and recruited; and requisite nursery equipment would be acquired.

Each select-Chiefdom will be assisted to identify at least 10 ha of degraded lands and put them under natural regeneration. Local bye laws and regulations would be made to protect the community reserve. In each selected community at least 20 farmers would be assisted to practice sustainable land management practices including agroforestry and woodlot establishment. Farmers would be assisted with tools to construct compost pits, and produce organic manure and construct efficient fuel wood mudstoves in their homes.

Output 3: 60 rural farmers identified trained and supported to develop and invest in Village Tree Enterprise.

The project will seek to support enterprising rural farmers to invest in tree growing as an economic venture. These farmer entrepreneurs would be trained in preparation of compost using domestic waste, animal droppings and farm residue as well as pesticide production and application using neem tree (Azadiracta indica), establsihement and maintenance of tree nurseries to produce seedlings of economic trees like mango . The farmers would be trained to plant trees on degraded lands by assessing funding from the financial institutions. The project will set up a financial recovery mechanism with the rural banks for farmers interested in planting and selling trees to register and assist farmers to access credit facilities at the rural banks to enable them own and replicate tree planting and selling as commercial activity.

3.0 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Output 1: Capacity of 1,000 local farmers developed in improved sustainable land management technologies

Planned Activities

1.1 Orient and select 16 chiefdoms in the Bongo traditional area for the project activities.
1.2 Form a 9-member Greening Bongo Committee with representation from all stakeholders
1.3 Organize sensitization and awareness creation meetings within the project areas
1.4 Organize community meetings and training workshops
1.5 Institute bimonthly environmental briefing and meeting among all the chiefs in the Bongo Area
1.6 Train the farmers in agroforestry and other sustainable land management technologies
1.7 Form, train and resource Wildfire Management Brigade in each selected community.
1.8 Institute annual local award for best community in wildfire management, land restoration and Agroforestry

Output 2: 100 hectares of degraded lands restored/rehabilitated in the Bongo traditional through natural regeneration sustainable farming practices and planting of severely degraded areas.

Planned Activities

2.1 Establish one Central nursery at Zokko to produce 140,000 seedlings annually
2.2 Support each select-chiefdom to select at least 10 ha of degraded area and put them under natural regeneration.
2.3 organize the interested farmers into groups for planting
2.4 Assist communities enact and endorse by-laws that promote wise use of natural resources and protect the environment from wildfires, illicit cutting of trees and illegal hunting.
2.5 Train and support 60 farmers in Compost Application on Farms
2.6 Train 60 female household heads on the construction of efficient woodfuel mudstoves
2.7 Train and assist 60 farmers to establish at least 1 ha woodlots,
2.8 Select and train 20 youth from each participating community in wildfire management
2.9 Organize award days for hardworking communities.

Output 3: 60 rural farmers identified, trained and supported to invest in Village Tree Enterprise.

Planned Activities

3.1 Identify and train 60 farmers in pesticide production and application using neem tree (Azadiracta indica)
3.2 Identify and train 60 farmer groups on business management, marketing simple book keeping, banking procedures and credit management.
3.3 Support, the trained farmers to grow, protect and sell tree products.
3.4 Identify and support 10 of the trained farmers in commercial tree nursery establishment and management
3.5 Set up a financial recovery mechanism with the rural banks for farmers interested in planting and selling trees to register.
3.6 Assist farmers to access credit facilities at the rural banks to enable them own and replicate tree planting and selling as commercial activity.