The programme inaugurated the Atewa West Community Resource Management Area Executive Committee in Kwabeng to help manage natural resources and protect the environment. The Committee ensures that the benefits of the natural resources are sustainable and equitably shared.
Fostering Reforestation, Environmental Sustainability, and Tourism: Accelerating the SDGs in the Okyeman Area
Duration: January 2021– February 2025
Budget: US$2,368,741 (UNTFHS: $1,003,791; Pooled Funding: $1,364,950)
Implementing Agencies: UNDP(lead), UNICEF, WHO, UNEP and UNRCO
Forests play a crucial role in the sustainable development of Ghana, contributing to livelihoods, employment, tourism, and foreign exchange earnings. Over the past decade, however, the country has experienced substantial rates of deforestation and forest degradation, attributable to illicit timber logging, mining activities, unsustainable agricultural practices, and precarious land tenure policies. The loss of forest cover and biodiversity poses multidimensional challenges for the large farming community in Eastern Ghana, reliant on fertile soils for their livelihoods, food production, and dietary diversity. The expansion of mining activities has contributed to mercury poisoning, posing significant health threats to the local communities, especially children. Addressing the interconnected drivers and consequences of deforestation and illicit resource exploitation demands comprehensive and integrated strategies, pinpointing entry points to mitigate the threats to multiple dimensions of human security through collaborative strategies that advance the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level.
The overall goal of the programme is to strengthen local systems through the human security approach to address critical gaps in sustainable environmental governance, livelihood diversification, and healthcare in Akyem Abuakwa. To this end, the specific objectives are to: (i) strengthen community-led environmental governance, natural resource management, and ecotourism; (ii) improve food productivity, optimal nutrition, and access to quality inclusive education; and (iii) increase access to quality and affordable public health services.
KEY MATERIALS
Programme Summary
The programme builds on an initiative between the Human Security Unit and the International Peace Institute in 2019 to strengthen the application of human security towards accelerating the achievement of the SDGs at the local level in West Africa.
UNDP Ghana Article: Local communities restoring degraded forests, 18 March 2024
UNDP Ghana Article: Empowering Communities to Effectively Manage Natural Resources, 28 February 2024