PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND INTENDED RESULTS

The Problem

The proposed project is intended for resilience in Weto landscape. The Weto Landscape is classified as a biodiversity hotspot in the world. However, the natural resources of the landscape, especially its biodiversity has been experiencing degradation for generations now from human unsustainable livelihood and basic needs satisfaction activities and approach. Thus, the natural resources of the Weto landscape have been utilized over the years without management plans.

Unsustainable farming practices such as slash and burn; excessive hunting of wildlife resources; indiscriminate tree harvesting, unguided agrochemical use; unconventional fish harvesting; have resulted in one environmental problem or the other. Thus, the Weto Landscape is now faced with issues of climate change, soil infertility and land degradation, dwindling water resources trees and wildlife resources. Consequently, farming which is the main activity in the landscape has not been rewarding for some years now due to low/reduced rainfall, soil infertility resulting in low harvests and reduced income.

The resource degradation is in ascendancy as the people tried to resort to adhoc measures to address the issue of deteriorating lifestyle as a result of low income induced poverty. There was therefore the need to adopt strategies that adopts planned and sustainable resource use that would reduce poverty and consequently result in resilience of biodiversity and other natural resources of the Weto Landscape. The damage in Weto Landscape has not gone beyond resilience and purposeful activities could result in a thriving Weto landscape.

In Kpale, Xorse, Etordome, Anfoeta, Saviefe Gbogame, Saviefe Agokpo communities, the once luxuriant mountain high forest vegetation has been reduced to secondary forest through chainsaw operations, unfriendly agricultural practices unthinkable annual bushfires. Large stock of bamboo forest is under threat of wanton clearing for farming as well as bushfires. Land use plan does not exist. Farming is done unscientifically on the mountain slopes.

Traditional sacred grooves are also under threat of destruction engineered by Christian faith against believes that preserved them. Caves and streams have not been developed for economic gains through ecotourism due to lack of education and guidance to do so. Underlying the resource degradation in these communities are inadequate government support, lack of planned community local resource management arrangements, unguided exploitation and unsustainable resource utilization. Consequently, rainfall is affected, soil fertility is affected leading to high production cost but relatively low yields. The resultant effect is poverty which in turn induced more adhoc resource management and utilization. However, several caves, sacred groves large bamboo forest ecosystems and some tree species are still found in the areas to be conserved through livelihood promotion, forest protection activities, agro forestry and institutional capacity building.

The goal

The goal of this project is to see a thriving socio-ecological production landscape where the local communities are actively involved in the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources for increased production, the restoration of biodiversity, wealth, and continuous flow of ecosystem services.

Objectives

The project will achieve the following objectives by the end of the project period, to:
• Train/assist Weto communities to carry out various activities that would help conserve the landscape for resilience within carrying capacity
• Train and support various groups and individuals to identify innovative procedures and opportunities to invest in sustainable land management.
• Support five rural enterprises to develop sustainable trade initiatives and markets in livestock and beekeeping, cocoa, fruit trees cultivation and bamboo and rattan products and establish a skills learning and resource training centre.
• Build the capacity of 10 organizations and develop systems and best practices in the resource use and sustainable land and management in the landscape based on the COMDEK /SATOYAMA approach and document them for dissemination.
Based on the SATOYAMA initiative, the objective is to promote activities that encourage cyclical use of resource for the wellbeing of the people and the landscape.

Project Purpose

The project intends to achieve resilience in the Weto system in the form of a sustained livelihood and wellbeing of beneficiaries; a conserved natural and semi-natural habitats and ecosystems services; and strengthened institutional capacity at landscape level to realize the goal of integrating conservation and production in the management of Socio-ecological production landscape, as well as a sustainable agricultural practices implemented across the landscape, to ensure harmony in the ecosystem and reduction in poverty induced resource degradation.

RATIONALE OF THE PROJECT

The rationale for this project is to halt the degradation of Weto landscape resources with COMDEK/GEF grants and community resources. The need to promote sustainable resource management and utilization underpins this project .Also community institution to promote prudent natural resource management are lacking hence the need for this project to build capacity of existing groups and from new ones where possible to promote diverse ideas sharing for accelerated management.
Livelihood activities in the Weto range are diverse but have not really seen modernization for increased income, hence the need for this project. Disappearing forests and dry river sources needed to be protected and agricultural practices harnessed, for increased health of the natural endowments and income. The lacking extension services in the landscape will be addressed through this project. This objective coincides with COMDEK/SGP ecosystems protection, sustainable land management and climate change issues and sustainable agricultural practices. The project is in line with governments efforts towards decentralization of environmental management activities through the District Assemblies. Ghana Biodiversity strategy, REDD+, 1994 forest and wildlife Policy etc. The programme also satisfies Agenda 21 and the Kyoto Protocol. Several International NGOs such as SNV, DFID are supporting group to carry out similar activities in several communities in the country.

Expected Project Outputs

The project is expected to produce the following outputs.

• 200 people trained to invest in sustainable land management as well as 6 institutions received capacity building to participate in natural resources management.
• 200 ha of degraded Weto landscape restored through bushfire management, agro forestry, woodlot and integrated forest management activities including natural regeneration. In all 200,000 seedlings would be planted.
• 100 persons each trained in: bamboo and rattan products, mushrooms, snails, beekeeping, sustainable cocoa production, and fruit trees cultivation One environmental resources management and training centre for skills development for resource management developed

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES

The project activities are selected to produce four outcomes based on the COMDEKS/SGP Country strategy as follows:
• Natural and Semi – natural habitats and ecosystem services within Weto landscape are conserved
• Sustainable agricultural practices implemented across the landscape to enhance and revive traditional conservation and production practices and adoption of new technologies.
• Livelihood and wellbeing of target social groups within Weto Landscape sustained and enhanced through the development of livelihood enterprises in line with local tradition and culture.
• Strengthened institutional capacity at the landscape level to realize the goal of integrating conservation and production in the management of Weto Landscape.

The project outcomes are based on the fact that communities would be educated and would participate actively in all the project activities. Thus, youth groups, children, women groups, landowners, traditional rulers would all play their roles and receive benefits accordingly. Community assets would also be built to achieve the outcome.

OUTCOME 1: Natural Resources and Semi – natural resources and ecosystem services within the Weto Landscape are conserved.
EXPECTED OUTPUT
Output 1 200 people trained to invest in sustainable land management as well as 6 institutions received capacity building to participate in natural resources management.

To achieve this output, landowners would be involved actively in discussion on identification of valuable natural and semi – natural resources on their land and what to do to conserve them. The capacity of the landowners and their tenant farmers numbering 200 would be built and supported to identify and implement innovative strategies, procedures and opportunities to invest in sustainable land management. Generally, the landowners and the communities with the assistance of Forestry Commission field officers would demarcate the land and do boundary planting.

Planned Activities
The following planned activities would be executed:
• Establish one tree nursery --- Close to200,000 seedlings of timber, woodlot and fruit trees including Ofram, Mahogany, Cassia, Acasia, Orange, Cocoa and Mango would be established in the project area.
• The seedlings would be used to establish agro forestry farms and boundary planting, to benefit over 200 farmers, schools and all landowners. Proceeds from this activity would be shared to benefit individuals and the community vault.
• Community members would be trained to run the nursery and community labour would be used to do the boundary demarcation and planting. In all over 500ha would be covered.
• Bush fire management ---- 20 persons per community would be trained as Fire Volunteer Squads to assist. Community labour would be used to construct fire belt in specific biodiversity areas and community boundaries, as well as create green belts to prevent spread of fires. In all, over 500hs of land would be prevented from annual bushfires.
• Community Fora and training for community forest management committees, schools, clubs etc. would be carried out for education on the project activities. Natural resources management workshop would also be carried out for identifiable groups.
• Document lesson learned

OUTCOME 2: Sustainable agricultural practices implemented across the landscape to enhance and revive traditional conservation and production practices and adoption of new technologies.

Output 2 Sustainable agricultural practices implemented across the landscape to enhance and revive traditional conservation and production practices and adoption of new technologies

Planned Activities

To achieve this outcome, practical demonstration activities would be carried out in the communities by agriculture and forestry extension officers on about 4 demonstration farms to be established by the project. Thirty Five (35) persons per community would be trained in special workshops to assist in technology dissemination in the communities in addition to the extension officers’ activities. In all, over 200has of land would be put under sustainable agricultural practices by individuals and groups, in all the communities in the project area. Cocoa and Citrus production would be used to promote biodiversity, while traditional crops grown in the area would be put on demonstration sites while new ones will be introduced.

The project will support the establishment of demonstration farms in six (6) crops areas, train two hundred (200) farmers in sustainable agricultural practices including soil fertility management, composting etc. to assist in the communities; carry out regular community education and extension education programmes on soil, water, animal, and crops production and document lesson learned.
This outcome would be achieved also through the implementation of activities in outcome 1. The demonstration farms to be established would generate income to support community assets building including establishment of a micro–credit system to support the farmers willing to undertake conservation and sustainable agriculture.

OUTCOME 3: Livelihood and wellbeing of target social groups within the landscape sustained and enhanced through the development of livelihood enterprises in line with local tradition and culture.

Output 3: 100 persons each trained in: bamboo and rattan products, mushrooms, snails, beekeeping, sustainable cocoa production, and fruit trees cultivation One environmental resources management and training centre for skills development for resource management developed

In order to achieve this outcome the following activities are considered to be intensifies in the project area based on prevailing conditions.

• Establishment of micro-credit scheme to promote investment to raise household income form the current level. This would be determined as part of project implementation.
• Beekeeping would be carried out at demonstration sites involving the provision of 60 beehives. However about 100 persons would be trained in beekeeping and arrangements put in place to assist them in turns.
• One hundred and twenty (100) persons would be trained and equipped to undertake commercialize mushroom, and snails farming, piggery grasscutter and arbitrary.
• Establish a products/skills development center and revolving credit system
• Documentation of lesson learned

These activities would be organized to benefit individuals and groups as they have conservation and income generation goals to alleviate poverty. The revolving credit to be established would be to assist persons in turns to establish business around these livelihood activities. A baseline indicator on income level would be established to assist in evaluation of beneficiaries.

OUTCOME 4: Strengthened institutional capacity at the landscape level to realize the goal of integrating conservation and production in the management of Weto Landscape.

To achieve this outcome capacity building would be undertaken for Traditional Rulers, Fire Volunteers, Church Groups, Community Forest management groups and producer associations totaling ten (10) groups to participate in resource management. The environmental committee of the district assembly is a target beneficiary of this outcome. Also resource management clubs would be formed in schools in the project area and assisted to undertake educational programmes and projects. Regular meetings and fora would be organized, where agreed upon issues are captured into bye laws in the area to be implemented on land, trees, animals, river system etc.
To Strengthen the Groups
• Identify groups and carry out sensitization activities
• Organize natural resources management workshops
• Assist with organizational development activities to ensure sustainability.
• E.g. leadership, training, group mobilization, registration etc.
• Document lesson learned.


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