In the harsh, drought-prone environment of northern Ghana, growing a single tree can feel like an impossible feat. The unforgiving climate, erratic rainfall patterns, and high cost of mechanizing boreholes for irrigation have long made afforestation a daunting task in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region. But a quiet revolution is taking place—one that doesn’t rely on expensive tree planting but rather on reviving nature’s own resilience.
Through the European Union-funded Landscapes and Environmental Agility Across the Nation (LEAN) project, implemented by World Vision Ghana, and its partners, Rainforest Alliance, Tropenbos Ghana and Ecocare Ghana, farmers in 25 communities in the district are restoring degraded lands, building climate resilience, and improving livelihoods using a cost-effective, low-tech solution called Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR).
Shrubs into trees: The power of FMNR
FMNR focuses on encouraging the regrowth of native trees and shrubs from existing root systems. Farmers are trained and equipped to identify, prune, and manage naturally occurring stumps and shrubs to grow into full trees, bypassing the difficulties and costs of planting new seedlings. Since its introduction in 2020, the approach has transformed over 223 hectares of degraded land in Kassena-Nankana West into thriving landscapes.
“For the past four years, our land was barren, but now we are enjoying shea fruits, blackberries, and green pastures for our animals,” says Anas Abdul-Nashir, a lead farmer from the Navio-Samwo community. “Our women now collect firewood nearby, and we can even harvest medicinal herbs.”
Like Abdul-Nashir, Apugido Roland, the Assembly Member for the Navio Electoral Area, has witnessed firsthand the transformation. “Previously, every November, bushfires swept across our forest. But since the FMNR approach started through the EU LEAN project, this area hasn’t seen fire in four years.”
Tackling bushfires with local fire brigades
Bushfires, often set unintentionally or as part of hunting and farming practices, have been one of the most destructive forces in the district. Under the LEAN project, 500 fire volunteers were trained and equipped across the 25 communities to prevent and manage bushfires.
One of them, Awenudaga Wechu, recalls the threat fires used to pose. “Before, fires would burn everything, but now, through our training, we create fire belts and monitor the forest. It’s been four years without a single major fire.”
In Banyono, fire volunteer Kuviremchana Awovire echoes the same sentiment, highlighting the tools provided to them—wellington boots, sickles, hand gloves, and knapsack sprayers—as critical in their firefighting efforts. “Even the animals no longer stray far from home. They graze right here because the forest has come back.”
Honey, goats, and economic empowerment
The FMNR initiative is part of a broader set of interventions under the LEAN project. Beyond reforestation, LEAN also supports livelihoods. Over 100 farmers, including Mathias Awotumjei Mimanga, have been trained in beekeeping and provided with hives and honey-processing equipment.
“I now harvest honey regularly and sell it. It has significantly improved my household income,” Mathias shares.
In addition, 130 vulnerable community members have received livestock—100 sheep and 150 goats—after training in animal husbandry and management.
Growing savings, growing resilience
To support long-term financial empowerment, World Vision through the EU LEAN project has established 60 Savings for Transformation (S4T) groups across the district, benefiting 1,500 people, mostly women. These groups encourage weekly savings and offer flexible loans to meet household and farming needs. By the end of the first cycle, the groups had saved an impressive GHS 647,951.
“Saving wasn’t easy for rural women like us, but now we can borrow for emergencies and invest in our farms,” said Vivian Adawuna, a participant from a community with no access to formal banking services.
A community-led vision for a greener future
A key component of the LEAN project’s success lies in community ownership and awareness. Frederick Wugma Awovire, Assembly Member for Boania/Banyono, recalls how a simple video demonstration on global deforestation inspired residents. “After seeing what happened in other countries, people were determined not to let our forest go. FMNR made it possible to act.”
He noted that in the rocky and dry landscape of his constituency, planting trees is nearly impossible. “But pruning the few shrubs into trees? That, we could do—and the results are visible.”
Greening the savannah, transforming lives
Since its inception, the LEAN project, implemented in the Savannah Landscape by World Vision Ghana, has reached over 6,000 smallholder farmers in Kassena-Nankana West. Beyond FMNR, the initiative has established four tree nurseries, distributed over 40,292 seedlings, and sensitized 2,300 community members on sustainable practices.
In a district where climate change is not just a threat but a daily reality, the EU LEAN project is proving that real transformation doesn’t always require grand gestures—it begins with empowering local people, restoring what already exists, and trusting in nature’s own resilience.
With its success, the FMNR model in Kassena-Nankana West could serve as a blueprint for other vulnerable communities across Ghana and the Sahel, showing that even in the harshest environments, green can grow again.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Banyono
