The Sustainable Land and Water Management Project is restoring many degraded forest lands in the Upper East Region through tree growing, soil erosion control, river bank protection and bamboo cultivation.
The 10 year project aims at supporting Sustainable Development Initiative for the Northern Savanna to realize the vision of a diversified and resilient economic zone in the north with significant regional environmental benefits.
The project which is funded by a Global Environment Facility (GEF) with a grant of $29.67 million over 3 phases under the auspices of the World Bank also provides livelihood support to beneficiary communities in the area of bee keeping and shea butter processing.
Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Frimpong Boateng who is in the region to inspect progress of the project expressed gratitude the project is restoring degraded environment while reducing urban migration through job creation.
Upper East Regional Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Asher Nkegbe speaking to the media was happy that the project has restored many degraded forest lands in the region and urged beneficiary communities to protect the gains made under the project.
On his part, Builsa South District Chief Executive, Daniel Kwame Gariba said the project is not only conserving the degraded environment, but also provides jobs opportunities for the teaming unemployed in the district.
“The project is not only conserving degraded environment and forest land, it is providing jobs for the teaming unemployed in the district. People are engaging in honey processing and the women especially are picking Shea nuts and processing them into Shea butter.”
As part of the project, there is an on-going work on a grazing areas at Kalaasa in the Builsa South District, which is expected to serve Cattle owners in the district, to end conflict between farmers and Cattle owners.
Source: a1radioonline.com | Joshua Asaah | Ghana