In the Upper West Region, the youngest administrative region of Ghana, created in 1983 with WA as it’s capital city

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
This project was implemented by the Ghanaian NGO Suntaa-Nuntaa – "help one another, love one another" in Dagaari

The area was characterised by:

• Erratic rainfall with a succession of droughts and floods damage in the last ten years

• Aggravated erosion of lateritic soils with low inherent fertility status

• Annually recurrent bushfires set by populations which destroy large plots of land

• High rapidly increasing population totals which reduces the fallow periods

• High dependency on agriculture for subsistence

• High dependency on firewood for energy production

• Women are maintained in an inferior position, and considered as an unimportant group

• High rate of poverty and lack of educational and health facilities

The above problems were addressed by:

• Placing special emphasis on involvement of women in agroforestry and income generating activities

• Creating women groups in the Whole Upper West Region of Ghana that exert activities based on agroforestry

• Teaching tree nursing and planting activities to women

• Encouraging Fodder banks practice in to feed the cattle

• Rearing and breeding cattle to improve local species

• Building on collective solidarity by the use of traditional values of "chena" and "susu"

• Developing Local economics and trading system based on exchange using the loan scheme set by the project

• Performing Theatre to address resource management as well as other issues

Land use

• High rate of progress of women’s groups supervised by Suntaa-Nuntaa

• Apprenticeship and training by example (demonstration) are given priority

• Replication of good initiatives through the principles of "Chena", a solidarity chain derived from traditional society

• Implementation of relevant activities carried out and geared to fighting deforestation, bushfires and poverty

• Diversification of activities including: honey production, poultry, raising of sahelian goats, loan schemes…

• Restoring peace and social cohesion to foster development

• Developing technical skills in the area of environmental protection, livestock production and the art of drama

• Improving income through diversification of sources

• Gradually empowering women by building self reliance

• Desert control may and should be adapted to the conditions of stakeholders: the NGO Suntaa-Nuntaa has managed to mobilize women by adopting formulas respecting local social values (gender relations, social structures) and based on the principles of social life (chena, susu, etc.)

• Drama for development may be a strong lever for mobilizing and sensitising populations through precise messages, accessible to populations and likely to modify behaviours blamed for desert encroachment.

• State disengagement and the process of decentralization may be opportunities and not constraints in the development of local initiatives in fighting environmental degradation. However, these initiatives should be channelled and accompanied by organizations specializing in community development.

Elizabeth Migongo-Bake
Programme Officer, Land-use &NRM
DEPI/TCU
UNEP
Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel. (+254) 2 621234; Fax (+254) 2 226886
Email: Elizabeth.Migongo-bake@unep.org
Website: www.unep.org