UNDP Global Environmental Facility (GEF)/Small Grants Programme (SGP)-Ghana

Ecotourism Promotion

The vision of the GEF/SGP is to promote community-based ecotourism as a way of adding value to the traditionally protected areas, utilizing the biodiversity and also creating wealth at the community levels. Most of the sacred groves in both the high forest and savanna areas are being transformed into ecotourism centres. Notable among the ecotourist attractions is the Buabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary where monkeys live with human beings.

The beneficial impact in the GEF focal areas comes about through using sustainable livelihood strategies. The sustainable livelihood perspective posits that communities will more readily design and participate in SGP interventions if their economic and other interests are taken into consideration. Thus, an essential part of the SGP projects has often been an income-generation component linked to one of the GEF focal areas. Moreover, communities must be given viable alternatives to economic and cultural practices that may endanger biodiversity, contribute to climate change, or degrade international freshwater or marine systems.

The vision of the GEF/SGP is to promote community-based ecotourism as a way of adding value to the traditionally protected areas, utilizing the biodiversity and also creating wealth at the community levels. Most of the sacred groves in both the high forest and savanna areas are being transformed into ecotourism centres. Notable among the ecotourism attractions are the Buabeng-Fiema and Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuaries where monkeys live with human beings.

Hippopotamus are classified among the endangered species in the country, but through the intervention of GEF-SGP, the people of Bole traditional area are restoring the hippo population in the Northern region. The conservation and promotion of the sanctuary is being pioneered by the traditional authorities who have been assisted by the project.

Under the GEF/SGP funded project GHA/00/045, the Conservation International has mobilized the Bole traditional council to develop the hippo sanctuary to conserve hippopotamus, constructed a tourist centre, guesthouse and trained local tourist guards. A comprehensive ecotourism development plan has been enunciated and an endowment fund is being created to help implement the programme. A conservation fund is being created to fund the process.

Conservation of Hippopotamus

Another ecotourism project being promoted by the project is the conservation of hippopotamus in the Bole District of the Northern Region. Hippopotamus are classified among the endangered species in the country, but through the intervention of GEF-SGP, the people of Bole traditional area are restoring the hippo population in the Northern region. A comprehensive ecotourism development plan has

been enunciated and an endowment fund is being created to help implement the programme.

Protecting the Elephants to improve human livelihoods

Historically elephants from Ghana and Burkina Faso have been migrating across the two borders without any threat to the vegetation or economic activities around the migratory corridors. However when the nine communities living along the Red and Black Volta in the Upper East for want of fertile lands encroached on the migratory corridors, then human-elephant conflicts emerged.
The timely intervention of the GEF/SGP to protect the migratory corridors, have not only brought peace but also witnessed tremendous improvement in the lifestyle of the people. As the Chief of Tilli puts its “we did know we cohabitate with elephants and prosper”.

Under the project the Garu Agricultural Station has been assisting communities along the Red & Black Volta migratory corridors to protect the corridors. The farmers have been introducing to improved soil fertility technologies that allow them to stay off the migratory corridors. Alternative livelihood activities like small ruminant rearing, bee-keeping shear butter processing and poultry have been introduces and most farmers are now engaged in small business enterprises.

UNDP GHANA