Specific Problems to be addressed and causes of the problems.

The project cluster is made up of Tafi Atome and Logba- Tota settlements of the Afadzato District in the Volta Region. These project communities are threatened with loss of biodiversity. The project communities lay along the Weto Mountain Range. This mountain like many mountain ecosystems is rich in biodiversity (Conservation International, 1999). The slope of the mountain to its bottom is covered by forest which has timber and non timber products including medicinal plants, spices and various forms of game. Beyond the foot of the mountain is the savannah woodland populated by various birds, rodents and monkeys. However, this natural resource is currently under threat of extinction. The threat is caused by extensive cultivation of food crops using poor agriculture practices such as slush and burn and cultivation along the slope. This has given rise to extensive deforestation of the mountain forest cover, exposing it to torrential rain falls and forming deep gullies due to soil erosion along the slope of the mountain. Farmers in these communities practice unsustainable farming methodologies and are unable to improve production. They also have limited production skills due to inadequate excess to modern farming technology. This is because the communities have no agriculture extension officers for quite a long time now. Critical to all these unfriendly human activities is the total breakdown of traditional methods of control and use of natural resources.

During the community environmental scan, most animals such as monkeys, bush cows, antelopes, bush pigs which were said to be in abundance in the 60s and 70s in the area are now rare due to 1983 bushfire which has destroyed them. This was exacerbated by the uncontrolled hunting for game as a source of livelihoods. The community is getting worried at the rate of biodiversity loss; even rodents such as grass cutter and rat are becoming scarce. The loss of the mountain forest cover is also implicated in the perennial drying up of rivers Dofe, Anyo and Oyidu in the Logba Tota community which take their source from the mountain. Akpom Falls in the community which is a source of river Ayom is also threatened.

In the Gbadzeme community, due to deforestation, wild animals such as antelopes can no longer be found. Streams Kenyimeni, Ayafluiza and Bewuleni are all dried up due to deforestation along their sources. Another problem identified in the community is the land not being fertile for large scale farming due to the rocky nature even though extension officers occasionally assist them. The youth also are not interested in farming because they consider it as not being lucrative. The effect of removal of the forest cover indeed is reduced soil fertility and soil erosion. Farmers in the community who used to harvest between 7-8 bags of maize per acre can now get only 2-4 bags per acre of yield. This poor agriculture productivity and lack of other forest resources for food such as wild forest yams and game has given rise to food insecurity, low incomes and poverty in the community. This is considered as the push factor for the high out migration of the youth; one out of three to cities like Accra and Tema to look for non-existing jobs.
There is therefore, an urgent need to strengthen community skills, in biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and provide alternative sources of livelihood to reduce pressure on the mountain resources to minimize the rate of loss of biodiversity and to also reduce poverty.

Project Objectives

The main objective of the project is to restore forest cover and conserve the biodiversity of the Nyagbo-Logba cluster of degraded lands whilst enhancing the livelihoods of the local people for the socio-economic transformation of the people.

Specifically the project will seek to

i. 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.
ii. regenerate degraded mountain forest cover in the Nyagbo-Logba cluster and conserve biodiversity.
iii. build communities capacity for sustainable agriculture and alternative livelihoods security.
iv. document project learning and experiences and share these with stakeholders.

Project Strategy and Justification

In view of the identified problems, the project will focus on initiating systems that will protect and regenerate the degraded mountain forest cover, conserve and promote sustainable development practices. It will also seek to establish sustainable livelihoods security enterprises for the community with the aim to reduce poverty. The project will therefore adopt the following strategies:

i. Launch of Project: Launching the project marks an importance step in the life cycle of the project to communities. It will enable all collaborators in the project to interact with the communities and to serve as publicity for the project and to enhance environmental education in these communities.

ii. Building systems for protection of biodiversity: The strategy will involve strengthening local institutions, formulation of local laws base on community’s land use traditions, developing new institutions and building their capacity to educate and enforce local laws. The community will also have the opportunity to be educated on national forest and wildlife policies. The strategy will also include land use planning for the community with the aim to reduce indiscriminate use of natural resource/land.

iii. Regenerating degraded areas of the mountain forest cover: This will be done by enabling community to acquire skills in nursery establishment and management. The forest farms will be established on the mountain to replace traditional food crops which apart from encouraging biodiversity loss also give rise to soil erosion. The components of the farms to be established will involve timber and non-timber forest products indigenous to the area to derive benefit.

iv. Engaging in sustainable agriculture practices: Farmers in the community will be introduced to environmentally friendly agriculture practices. They will undergo training and receive support to practice it. This will involve bio-intensive vegetable production, zero tillage, and soil and water management practices, cover cropping and agroforestry techniques. To ensure that community do not continue with poor farming practices, the project will build their capacity and establish a demonstration farm for continuous education and practice.

v. Establishing alternative livelihoods security enterprise center: The project will also introduce the community to alternative livelihoods programmes and establish a center for training and to engage in them as business ventures so as to live off the forest.

vi. Learning and sharing: Community will be exposed to similar activities such as CREMAs to increase their enthusiasm and learning. At the end of the project, information generated during the implementation in the form of innovations and experiences will be documented and shared with stakeholders and partners.

Project Rationale

The rationale for the project is to implement the WETO COMDEKS strategy and thereby contribute to: (a) The Government of Ghana’s vision of conserving the country’s biodiversity, especially the wildlife and wetland estate, within and outside reserves; (b) The Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy II; (c) The promotion of community participation in the sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources, as enshrined in the Forest and Wildlife Policy (1994); (d) UNDP GEF, objective of supporting biodiversity conservation activities in Ghana; and (e) To collaborate in the implementation of the local District Assembly Development Plan.

Intended Results/Outputs and Activities

Objective 1: 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.

Output 1.1: Participatory landuse plan to guide the development of the Logba Tota, and Tafi Atome communities
Activities:
i. Produce educational materials for community animation.
ii. Facilitate a community forum on to discuss the land use plan.
iii. Form community landuse management committees
iv. Support communities to implement agreed landuse plan
v. Conduct outreach to schools and form environmental clubs

Output 1.2: Capacity building of stakeholders on the conservation of rare and endangered species including medicinal plants enhanced.

Activities:
i. Identify stakeholders and use of natural resources.
ii. Organize two days community capacity building workshop for stakeholders on conservation of rare and endangered medicinal plants
iii. Form and train community natural resource management committees to manage the natural resources within the area.

Objective 2: To regenerate degraded mountain forest cover in the Nyagbo-Logba cluster and conserve biodiversity

Output 2.1 Community tree nurseries established at Tafi capable of producing 50,000 seedlings annually
Activities:
i. Form and train nursery management committee
ii. Select and prepare site for nursery.
iii. Organize community meetings to select timber and non-timber tree species for nursing
iv. Acquire requisite tools and equipment for nursery establishment
v. Acquire seeds, cuttings, and nursery materials.
vi. Hold training workshop on nursery establishment and maintenance
vii. Prepare seed beds, filling of poly bags and nursing
viii. Help community to acquire skills in nursery management through learning by doing

Output 2.2: Twenty five (25) hectares of degraded mountain forest cover planted with timber and non-timber species.
Activities:
i. Identify and assess areas for replanting.
ii. Organize workshop on reforestation and tree growing.
iii. Organize affected interested farmers in the area and register them into groups
iv. Train farmers in tree management on farms
v. Distribute seedlings for planting under agro-forestry technologies
vi. Monitor planting and growing of seedlings, agro-forestry farms and compost preparation and application..

Objective 3: To build communities capacity for sustainable agriculture system and alternative livelihoods security.

Output 3.1: Capacity in sustainable agriculture for those with farms on the mountain area built.
Activities:
i. Engage community in the concept of sustainable agriculture.
ii. Introduce sustainable farming practice (zero tillage, contour ploughing, strip cropping, and water harvesting and erosion control) to farmers.
iii. Train farmers in agroforestry techniques for farm Forest.
iv. Establish four community and individual on-farm woodlots as source of energy.
v. Introduce farmers to organic compost preparation and application
vi. Support farmers to prepare and apply compost in farms along the slopes and also within the savannah areas

Output 3.2: Community sustainable agriculture demonstration farm established
Activities:
i. Assist community to choose site for demonstration farm.
ii. Engage community in farm planning and building of farm structures.
iii. Acquire equipment, tools and planting materials.
iv. Develop curriculum for training.
v. Train community in sustainable agriculture practices. Especially zero tillage, cover cropping, soil and water management, compost making and application).
vi. Establish 5 compost boxes and 5 organic vegetable farms
vii. Monitor application of skills for sustainable agriculture.

Output 3.3: Alternative livelihoods established.
Activities:
i. Organize community meeting on alternative livelihoods
ii. Provide training in alternative livelihoods (e.g. gari processing and rice farming).
iii. Establish community alternative livelihoods enterprise center.
iv. Train community in micro business management.
v. Engage community to make rules for managing and benefiting from project.

Objective 4: To document project learning and share experiences with stakeholders.

Output 4.1: A document on Nyagbo-Logba cluster of communities’ ecosystem restoration and sustainable livelihood security produced.
Activities:
i. Organize a documentation workshop
ii. Write up document
iii. Publish document.

Output 4.2: A workshop to share learning and experiences undertaken
Activities:
i. Organize community level workshop for beneficiary farmers to share lessons.
ii. Organize field days for exchange visits
iii. Select and send invitations to stakeholders
iv. Organize cluster level exhibition with pictures of project
v. Make presentation on document.

END OF PROJECT REPORT ATTACHED