Savannah Biodiversity Project to lure Wildlife into Ghana

Katiu (UE/R), Feb. 18, GNA- Ghana's Northern Savannah Biodiversity Conservation Project (NSBCP) is establishing two Wildlife Corridors to link up with neighbouring Burkina Faso in the West and Togo to the East with a view to promoting migration of animals to stay in the country.

Mr. Daniel Donkor, NSBCP co-ordinator in charge of the Kassena-Nankana and Bulisa districts, made this known at Katiu near Navrongo on Wednesday when he addressed a durbar of chiefs and people of Kayoro, Natugnia and Katiu in the district, organised to explain the project concept to the people.

The occasion marked the inauguration of three 11-member committees known as Corridor Resource Management Committees (CORMCO) from each of the three local communities in the area.

He explained that the corridors are the forest reserves in parts of the Upper East and Upper West Regions and include, East of the Red Volta in Bawku West District, West Volta in Bolgatanga District, and the Morago in Bawku West District.

Others are the Chiana Hills and Sissili North in the Kassena Nankana District, Sissili Central in the Bulisa District and the Pudo Hills in the Sissala District.

Mr Donkor said Communities nearer to the forest are encouraged to regard those reserves as their own and urged to take good care of the resource by protecting the trees against bush fire and indiscriminate felling.

He indicated that community participation was also aimed at incorporating indigenous knowledge in wildlife conservation.

He said animals from Togo and Burkina Faso migrate annually into Ghana and if they found the environment conducive they would likely want to stay, thereby enriching the country's wildlife and Ecosystem.

He explained that the corridors would improve the free movement of wild life between Ghana and her neighbours, build up international collaboration in the management of the new system and also improve the living standards of the people caring for the forest reserves. The project together with the communities would undertake measures that would reverse the destruction of the environment, reduce hunting, allow migration, and improve wildlife habitat by increasing the animals' access to food, water and safety.

The District Chief Executive, Mr George Dan-Yare in a speech read for him by Mr. Martin Alichimah of the Chiana Town Council, he said that collaboration with the communities would encourage the people to develop a sense of ownership towards the resource and a willingness to sustain the forest.

He advised the people to support the project and give out their best to sustain it.

An Agricultural Officer, Mr. Peter Anyawie who inaugurated the committees urged them to take up their responsibilities seriously in order to make the project a success.

Committee members were expected to act as liaison between implementation teams and their communities and assist in managing conflicts that might emerge.

The committees would also participate in corridor area management and planning, and advise implementation teams and the project on community preferences.