General

Förderung der Rechtssicherheit und der Selbsthilfekräfte bedrohter Gemeinden in ländlichen Regionen

Objectives

In der Zielregion sind die Biome durch Zerstörung durch Monokulturen und Großprojekte im Bereich Bergbau und Energieerzeugung bedroht, und die kleinbäuerliche Landbevölkerung aus dem gleichen Grund aufgrund fehlender Landbesitztitel von Vertreibung. Das Projekt unterstützt traditionelle Landgemeinden und Menschenrechtsverteidiger*innen bei der Verteidigung ihrer Territorien, ihrer Ernährungssicherheit sowie ihrer sozialen und politischen Selbsthilfekräfte.

General

The Engaging Local Communities in REDD+/ Enhancement of Carbon Stocks (ELCIR+) project forms part of the Ghana Investment Plan for the Forest Investment Program. The investment plan is expected to be co-financed through basket funding with the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Estimated at 2.0%, Ghana’s annual deforestation rate is alarming, with (i) agricultural expansion, especially cocoa cultivation (50%) and (ii) wood harvesting (35%) considered as the main drivers. This shift has resulted in significant loss of forest cover and a decline in carbon stocks. The limited alternative livelihoods opportunities are also a challenge for the community. Therefore, the project aims to mobilize and invest funds to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and also financially benefit local communities. This will pilot a jurisdictional approach to REDD+ at the regional level focusing on the Western and Brong Ahafo regions. The Bank financed portion supports: (i) restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes, (ii) climate smart agriculture, (iii) livelihoods improvement and, (iv) capacity building. The project will be implemented over 5 years (2014 – 2018) with a total cost of US $ 15.826 million.

Objectives

The Project development objective is to contribute to the increase of carbon stocks, and poverty reduction in the off-reserve areas of the High Forest Zones, by engaging communities in land management approaches that generate direct financial and environmental benefits.

Target Groups

Project interventions will target 14 districts in the Western Region and 24 districts in Brong Ahafo Region. Project’s direct beneficiaries are estimated to be 12, 000 people, with women representing about half of the targeted population. Furthermore, the project is expected to indirectly benefit 175,000 people (5% of the population of the two regions). Direct beneficiaries will be supported with capacity building, inputs (e.g. seeds), equipment, and financial incentives through benefit-sharing agreements, to develop forestry, agroforestry and alternate livelihoods activities.

General

Bicknell's Thrush (BITH) is a neotropical migratory bird species whose population overwinters predominantly in the Dominican Republic where forest habitat is under threat from agricultural expansion and fire. With past NMBCA support, significant progress has been made in protecting and managing critical habitat, and restoring forest conditions for migratory birds. This project builds and expands upon those advances. Partners will: 1) engage coffee/cacao farmers and industry stakeholders in Bird-Friendly production methods and marketing; 2) restore 65 ha by planting 114,900 native trees and coffee/cacao plants; 3) conduct a land tenure study to explore new lands to protect; 4) develop a Payment for Ecosystem Services program to incentivize forest protection; 5) improve law enforcement of four key habitat areas by hiring one new park guard, and supporting patrols and boundary-marking; 5) monitor presence, and distribution of BITH and other Partners in Flight priority migratory species. With matching funds, they will: 1) protect up to 100 ha of habitat through acquisition; 2) maintain 23 existing guards, 8 protected area personnel, and 20 fire/patrol brigade members; 3) map cacao farms & help develop/test Bird-Friendly cacao standards; and 4) build capacity in our partner through investment in personnel and institutional strengthening.