PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND INTENDED RESULTS

The Weto landscape forms the southern part of the Togo-Atakora Mountains spanning over eleven traditional and three political administrative areas, namely South Dayi District Assembly, and Hohoe and Ho Municipalities in the Volta Region.
The area is a dynamic mountainous mosaic landscape with diverse habitats and land uses including cities, towns and villages; farmlands with adjacent cocoa, oil palm, avocado and mango plantations; natural forests, grasslands, wetlands, and water bodies (comprising, streams, rivers, ponds and the Volta Lake). The area has about 126 settlements and corresponds with the stretch of the Weto Range from Peki to Logba on the Asikuma to Hohoe Road, Have to Vakpo on the Have to Kpando Road, and Sanga to Gbadzeme on Asikuma to Amedzofe Road.

The proposed project area is inhabited by Ewe communities who have unique cultural beliefs and practices which have guided the conservation of biodiversity and protection of highly ecological sensitive areas. It is well endowed with a diversified natural resources in the form of high biodiversity, hydrological systems, rich soils, stony features and conducive climate, all of which form a strong base for economic activities and sustainable development. This landscape is part of the Weto range which is a biodiversity hot-spot of global importance and has the highest potential for eco-cultural, mountain ecosystem, aquaculture, climate smart farming systems and tourism in Ghana. However, these communities and their environs are threatened with extinction of this rich biodiversity and degradation of the landscape has high eco-tourism potentials.

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 rainfall leading to erosion and forming deep gullies along the slope of the mountain. Another sad story is that most of the sacred groves also have been encroached upon with the advent of Christianity and modernization. Critical to all these unfriendly human activities is the total breakdown of traditional institutions and methods of control and use of natural resources.

DI’s intervention area is located along the Weto range stretching from Todome in the South Dayi district to the south, sharing borders with Ho municipality to the East, to the North is Have in the Afadjato District, and to the West is River Dayi serving as border between Tsorhor and Vakpo communities in the North Dayi Districts of the Volta Region. The project targeted six (6) communities within the cluster namely, Kpeve, Goviefe Agordome, Goviefe Todzi, Goviefe Kowu, Woadze and Agate. The area has more than thirty watersheds, twenty Ancestral caves and 15 sacred groves which are all threatened by unsustainable ecological management. Agriculture which is the main source of livelihoods in this area is threatened by unsustainable farming practices which are exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Even though the area is endowed with unique and enviable cultural heritage and eco-tourist features, which could be harness for cash income and development; these are yet to be tapped. There is therefore an urgent need to conserve these socio-ecological landscapes and facilitate sustainable livelihoods through eco-tourism.

Project Goal

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

Specific Objectives
The following are the specific objective of the project;
i. To enhance the conservation of tourist features such as ancestral caves, watersheds, sacred groves, wildlife habitats, biodiversity areas within the Todome to Agate portion of the WETO landscape.

ii. To strengthen institutional capacity at the landscape level to realize the goal of integrating conservation, production and eco-cultural tourism as sustainable livelihoods in the management of the target landscape.

Intended Results
i. Tourist features such as ancestral caves, watersheds, sacred groves, and wildlife habitats, biodiversity areas within the Todome to Agate portion of the WETO landscape conserved and enhanced.

ii. Institutional capacity at the landscape level strengthened to realize the goal of integrating conservation, production and eco-cultural tourism as sustainable livelihoods in the management of the target landscape.

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Objective 1: To enhance the conservation of tourist features such as ancestral caves, watersheds, sacred groves, wildlife habitats, biodiversity areas within the Kpeve to Agate portion of the WETO landscape.

Output 1.0 Three communities within the project area sensitized on eco-tourism potential in their communities

Activities: 1.1: Three communities sensitized on the project

1.1.1. Resource Mobilization & Community entry
1.1.2. Organize community sensitization workshops
1.1.3 Organize meetings with critical stakeholders (landowners, artisans, traditional leaders)
1.1.4. Form and enhance capacity of three eco-tourism management committees
1.1.5. Build capacity of community institutions and leader on eco-tourism

0utput 1.2: One central tree nurseries established within the project area.

1.2.1 Form and train nursery management committee.
1.2.2 Select and prepare nursery sites
1.2.3 Acquire tools, equipments and seeds for nurser establishment
1.2.4. 100,000 tree seedlings of different species raised and distributed to six communities

Output 1.3: Six community woodlots established

1.3.1. Select woodlot sites and prepare site
1.3.2. Organize tree planting exercise
1.3.3. Manage established woodlots

Output 1.4: 250 ha of degraded forest cover restored by two years with timber and non-timber species along the Weto within the project area.

1.4.1. Identify and assess areas to be replanted
1.4.2. Organize workshop on afforestation and tree growing
1.4.3. Distribute seedlings for replanting
1.4.4. Monitor planting and growing of trees
Output 1.5: Community land use plan developed

1.5.1. Organize sensitization workshops for community leaders, land owners and users.
1.5.2. Engage surveyor to demarcate land
1.5.3. Organize land use validation workshop
1.5.4 Document land use plan
1.5.5. Design land use plan implementation strategies with stakeholders (District Assemblies, TAs, Land owners etc.)

Objective 2: To strengthen institutional capacity at the landscape level to realize the goal of integrating conservation, production and eco-cultural tourism as sustainable livelihoods in the management of the target landscape

Output 2.1: 20 Potential tourist sites (ancestral caves, waterfalls, sacred groves, wildlife habitats, etc.) Identified and documented.

Activities:

2.1.1. Visit and identify potential tourists’ sites in the communities
2.1.2. Document potential tourist features (including flora, fauna & cultural studies)
2.1.3. Organize workshop validate to study findings.

Output 2.2: Sustainable tourist enterprises developed and promoted

2.2.1. Build 2 tourist centers (including reception & gift market) using local materials

Output 2.3: Capacity of community tourism actors is built on sustainable tourism:

2.3.1. Create awareness on sustainable tourism in 6 communities
2.3.2 Invite Expression of Interest from local tourist enterprises [including logistics established
2.3.3. Organize training for tourism value chain actors in 6 thematic areas

Output 2.4: Promote community tourist centers:

2.4.1. Develop & print information, communication and education materials (fryers, brochures, media, etc.)
2.4.2. Media [electronic]
2.4.3. Register tourist centers with GTA
2.4.4. Using of GTA website


Output 2.5: Participatory strategic planning including MOU for benefit sharing from the project

2.5.1. Hire consultant
2.5.2 Organize participatory strategic planning & MOU on benefit sharing workshop

2.6. Tourist centers officially opened
2.6.1. Organize official launch of the tourist center

END OF PROJECT REPORT ATTACHED.