UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Major Groups

Submitting organization:

Affiliation:

Name of Focal Point:	Seth Nuamah

Initiative Title:	Soil and water conservation in bongo district in upper east region of Ghana

Internet links:

Scope:	Regional:

Status:

Timeframe:	Start: End:

Lead Institution:	Government

Stakeholders/Partners:	TRAX, DFID

Relevent issues:	- Empowerment of local rural communities - Natural resources management - Capacity building - Access to financing - Community-based programmes for efficient land use - Capacity building - Poverty reduction strategies and policies - Reducing rural poverty - Strategies for effective resource management - Capacity-building for local governments and communities - Institutional building/capacity-building

Objectives/Challenges:

In a needs assessment conducted at Dua in 2003, women ranked the lack of water as their most serious problem, followed by poor soils, and, tied in third place, constraints on income generating activities (IGAs) and the lack of grain milling services. Men ranked water shortages as the worst problem, followed by poor soils and, in equal third place, lack of access to credit and to grain mills. “Both women and men were of the view that the problem of poor soil fertility could be addressed by themselves with little outside assistance. However, they both agreed that the problem of water, corn mill, accessible road, credit/IGA and livestock diseases will require external support to address. They further indicated that the problem of poor soil fertility will require a longer time to address after interventions if compared to other problems

Lessons Learned:

TRAX and participating farmers in Upper East Region are learning a lesson that has been widespread in the Sahel over recent decades. Simple techniques to enhance soil organic matter and moisture content and to arrest soil erosion, often rooted in indigenous practice, can significantly enhance yields and the livelihoods of rural households, with only modest external investment. By combining indigenous knowledge and commitment with some external ideas and facilitation, people in these conditions are making real progress in combating desertification.

Policy Options:

The goals of the activities that TRAX supports vary from place to place, depending on what each community identifies as its priorities. They generally focus on combating poverty through low external input sustainable agriculture (LEISA) techniques, among which soil and water conservation (SWC) practices tend to be prominent. Sometimes communities identify priorities that are outside the scope of TRAX, in which case the organisation puts them in touch with other agencies that may be able to help.

Summary:

This was soil and water conservation project that took place in the Upper East region of Ghana.
Building on indigenous knowledge and techniques, an NGO is promoting soil and water conservation techniques such as composting and contour bunds in a heavily degraded area. The extension approach involves the formation and support of farmer groups over a seven year cycle.