Environmental research

PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 Background of Project Area The West Mumprusi district in the Northern region is considered one of the deprived areas, though a potential bread basket of the country. The district borders the Upper East Region which has seen its vegetation almost depleted by overpopulation and over exploitation. Many people from the Upper East are settling in the District in order to have land to farm. As a result, pressure is gradually increasing on the land and its resources. Therefore the time is now to act before the situation gets out of hand. PROCESS was invited in 2006 by the West Mamprusi District Assembly to take part in discussing the final draft of its medium term plan. During the discussion it was evident that many communities in the District wanted more education and assistance to deal with bushfires and natural resources management. The Assembly knowing that PROCESS is engaged in this area asked PROCESS to help. It is important that since communities themselves have realized how precarious their environments are becoming in terms of ability to support their livelihoods, this project will not only encourage communities to seek help to address challenges of concern to them but bring them closer to the District Assembly. In implementing the Bushfire Management and Northern Livelihoods Project, PROCESS worked in partnership with the Ghana Education Service in the District and engaged teachers in over twenty two basic schools in the district in discussing and planning how to address common environmental problems identified in the school communities. Funds for the workshops were provided by CARE International. Over fifty teachers took part in the workshops. Some of the schools were provided seedlings by the Forest Services Division after the workshops. PROCESS later found money to pay for the seedlings. 3.2 Problem Identification Following a report of the low rainfall pattern experienced, coupled with the severe harmattan conditions, coupled with low farm yields, there is a general awareness by the communities of the progressive degradation of the savannah woodland resources of the district, though little action is being taken on it. In their opinion, wildfires, charcoal production, indiscriminate cutting of trees and the vagaries of the weather account for this deteriorating state of affairs, with wildfires being the leading cause. The wildfires pose challenges for the sustainable management of the resource, as there has been a tremendous increase in the number and severity of wildfires in the district recently. The use of fire for land clearing for farming and uncontrolled late annual wildfires encourage tufts of grass for cattle grazing and control of weeds prior to food crop establishment. Owing to these uncontrolled wild fires, unsustainable agricultural practices, and poor woodland management, the savannah woodland resource of the district is being destroyed, with grave consequences not only for productivity, biodiversity, and human life, but also for the climate and the environment. For instance, the increasing daily temperatures and the degradation of the soil structure and fertility in the district contribute to poor crop yields. Other effects are the loss of carbon sink resources leading to increases in the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is contributing to, global warning and rising temperatures. In the West Mamprusi district, the Savannah Research Institute (SARI, 2002) has observed a change in the microclimate, creating unhealthy living conditions. Above all, the continual burning of the bush renders nature ineffective in sustaining itself and the potentials of the district becoming the bread basket of the nation is in serious doubt. Consequently, the destruction of the vegetation does not only affect humans, but also biodiversity and the environment. It is therefore important to embark on activities that will reduce the emission of carbon dioxide in the district. 3.3 Project Goal and Objectives The main goal of the project is to develop the capacities of the youth in environmental entrepreneurship so as to build local capacities towards climate change mitigation through, renewable energy development, and reforestation of degraded (school) lands. The specific objectives are: : i) to develop the capacities of school children to become enviropreneurs (environmental entrepreneurs) ii) to support enviropreneurs to establish and maintain community school woodlots and fruit farms on school lands in five off-grid communities to serve as carbon sink iii) to solar electrify 3 junior high schools to support teaching and learning in the deprived basic schools 3.4 Intended Outputs In pursuance of the objectives it is envisaged that the project will focus on four major outputs to be achieved at the end of the project. They are: Sixty school children trained and certified as Enviropreneurs 10 ha of woodlots and 3 ha of fruit orchards established and maintained by school 400Wp solar PV system to installed and maintained in 3 deprived schools to supply light for teaching and learning. 3.5 Project Strategy The project seeks to develop the capacities of the youth in the district environmental entrepreneurship so that they can assist in contributing towards the climate change mitigation. The target beneficiaries are communities off the national grid and where the use of solar energy and tree planting would be introduced to students in the Junior High School. Each benef

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