SUSTAINABLE LAND AND WATER MANAGEMENT

PROJECT The use of Bamboo for restoration of degraded land

byIsaac C. Acquah Jnr. of

Environmental Protection Agency of Ghanaat the

Regional Workshop on Bamboo and RattanHotel Mont Febe

Yaoundé, Camaroon

Outline of Presentation Background and Introduction; Project Overview; Multi-sectorial Nature of the Project; Major Activities being undertaken by the

Project; Some types of Land Degradation; Bamboo-based Sustainable Land

Management Technologies

Background

The SLWMP is a flagship project derived from Ghana’s Strategic Investment Framework (GSIF) for SLM which was prepared in 2010

The GSIF identified the northern savannah zone of Ghana as critical landscape for intervention.

SLWMP started in the year 2011 The project is designed around three components:

(1) Capacity building for integrated spatial planning; (2) Land and Water Management, and (3) Project management and coordination.

Project Area

TARGET LANDSCAPE

Ghana SLWMP Project Overview As part of the WBG’s Sahel and West Africa Programme (SAWAP) in Support of the

Great Green Wall Initiative, and with financing support from GEF (US$ 16.9 million),

Ghana has laid a strong foundation in developing and implementing innovative and

effective SLM programs and partnerships.

Integrated landscape approach through Participatory watershed planning in 10

districts in the Northern Savannah Zone of Ghana

Project Objective: to expand the area under sustainable land and water

management practices in selected watersheds (unchanged).

Multi-Stakeholder & Multi Sector Project Multi- stakeholder

platforms strengthened to support upscaling of integrated natural resources management across scales and sectors

Implementing agencies and partners

National Agencies Ministry of Environment,

Science, Technology and Innovation,

Environmental Protection Agency,

Ministry of Food and Agriculture,

Forest Services Division, Wildlife Division,

Regional agencies• 3 Regional EPA offices• 3 Regional Departments of

Agriculture • 3 Regional Managers of

Forest Services Division• Regional Manager of Wildlife

Division• Park managers• Regional Water Resources

Commission• 3 Regional Coordinating

Councils• Survey and Mapping

Department• National Fire Service• Private sector

Implementing agencies and partners

Implementing agencies and partners cont’d

District level agencies Community level

• District Planning Office• Department of Agriculture• District Gender Office• National Fire Service• Community Water and

Sanitation• Forest Services Division• Wildlife Division

• Traditional authorities • Opinion leader• Assembly Man• Farmers • Community members

MAJOR ACTIVITIES : •District / community watershed planning •Engaging NGO’s /CS0 to promote SLWM• Performance based Incentive structure for extension officers•Capacity building for community level structures (CWMTs, CRMCs) and farmers (i.e local sturdy tour, farmer to farmer extension)•Establishment of demonstrations•Strengthen the NSLMC•Implementation of community sub-projects (riparian vegetation, SLWM technologies (including root and tuber), water management systems, rangeland management , restoration of degraded lands)•Natural resource based livelihood support activities •Post harvest management •Implementation of CREMA management plans •Piloting the PES•Project Impact Evaluation•Monitoring by local, Region and National level structures•Maintaining the GIS M&E system•Independent field verification by the NSLMC•Regional learning workshops •Project documentary

Community level activities Community Sensitization Watershed

management Planning

Output of community participatory watershed management planning

Community watershed management plan This is used by community members to develop

sub-projects to address identified problems within the community landscape

Election of Community Watershed Management Team (CWMT) to supervise implementation of community interventions

SLWMP support agricultural and natural resources management interventions,

Interventions outside the scope of the project is taken up by the district planning officer for inclusion in the District Medium Term Development Plans

SLWM interventions

Interventions include soil, water and nutrient

managementagroforestry, livestock

husbandry, and forest and alternative

livelihoods

No burning Training of farmers on Land preparation

Land preparation: No-TillageSoil is covered with mulch at planting

Planting is done directly through the mulch

Maintaining soil health for increased productivity

Soil organic matter help maintain

biological processes, prevents erosion, improves plant

nutrients, increases soil carbon, increases resilience to climate

change

• Protects soil against direct impact of raindrops & sunshine

• Improves organic matter content of soil and plant nutrient

• Serves as feed for insects and soil organisms

• Slows down run off and increase water infiltration

Cover Crops

Water management technologies

In-field/on-farm water harvesting Earth bundingStone bunding

Bottle irrigation Buffer zone/Riverine re-

vegetation

Use of A-Frame District extension agents preparing to train farmers on the use of A-Frame for picking contours

Farmer demonstrating the use of A-Frame for constructing stone bunds to World Bank Mission Team

Earth bunding

Stone bunds wrongly constructed

The use of the A-Frame assisted farmers to correct wrongly done stone bunds and also to create more planting space.

Bottle Irrigation

Climate Change adaptation – ensuring that tree seedlings survive during the long dry season. NB without the mulch = high evaporation

Mulch plus

bottle irrigation

Buffer zone/riverine re-vegetation

Plant nutrient management technologies No burning of crop residue Compost preparation and use Cover cropping Crop rotation Mixed cropping

Crop Rotation

Soyabean field to be replaced with maize next season

Maize field to be replaced with soyabean next season

Mixed cropping

Intercropping Strip cropping

Compost preparation and use

Agroforestry and tree planting

Fruit tree cultivationAlley croppingWoodlot Boundary tree planting

Fruit tree cultivation

Tree growing

TEAK CASSIA

Pigeon pea planted as fodder banks

Harvested fodder bank for dry season feeding of livestock

Forest Management

Park management activitieslaw enforcement

Community engagement in tree nurseries CREMA

Activities - Bee keeping

Some types of Land Degradation

Pwalugu River

Sissili River at Domga; Sissili River at Nyandema/Kalaasa; Sissili river at Bechonsa

Restoring degraded land with Bamboo

Bamboo-based sustainable land management technologies Bamboo has great potential to help restore degraded lands and protect

watersheds; Bamboo rhizomes and roots develop remain alive and rooted in the soil,

producing new shoots each year and not destroy by wildfires; It is very resilient, able to withstand floods and wildfires; Bamboo leaves could play a potentially important role in providing a

sustainable source of fodder and feed; Bamboo can significantly reduce water runoff and soil erosion because of its

extensive rhizome and rooting system; Bamboo component of SLM is to improve bamboo-based livelihoods

and reduce land degradation through associated bamboo-based environmental services;

THANK YOU VERY MUCH