Community Reforestation, Ghana

The project is restoring degraded forest reserves in Ghana with teak, indigenous trees and natural forest in riparian buffer zones, following the principles and criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The areas have been degraded due to overexploitation, bush fires and conversion to agriculture. 

The project works closely with local farmers some of who are employed by the project and others are able to grow crops, via intercropping, within the reforested area, benefitting from the improved soil conditions. As a grouped project, the aim is to expand around 1,000 hectares per year, adding new project areas and improving more livelihoods through reforestation.

In addition to delivering emissions removals to take climate action (SDG 13), the project delivers additional benefits. The SDG contributions have been indicatively measured, but need to be confirmed:

• Zero Hunger: Implements resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity, help maintain ecosystems, strengthen adaptation to climate change, and progressively improve land and soil quality.
• Gender Equality: 40% of jobs created to be filled by women and 25% of the available areas for intercropping to be allocated to female farmers.
  
• Clean Water and Sanitation: Tree planting, particularly in the land near waterways, contributes to the improvement of the water catchment areas by improving the supply, consistency and quality of the water available. Additionally, sanitary infrastructure and boreholes have been installed in the local village of Kotaa.
• Decent Work and Economic Growth: Over 1,000 jobs have been created, and more than 6,000 hectares of project land is available to local farmers for intercropping.
• Reduced Inequalities: Facilitate equitable access, benefit sharing from and security to land, forest and mineral resources.
• Sustainable Cities and Communities: Promote public awareness and local communities’ participation in sustainable forest, wildlife and land use management.
• Life on Land: Decreases Ghana's proportion of degraded land and increases rates of sustainable forest management.