Estimates from the Forestry Commission and the World Bank suggest that Ghana loses about 65,000 hectares of forest per year, representing about 2.03 percent average annual loss.
It is projected that if care is not taken, Ghana is likely to lose all of its forest cover by 2040.
This came to the fore at a ceremony to inaugurate a resettlement village known as New Gbele in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region.
GBC’s Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo in this special report says the move is to relocate the residents of Old Gbele which by virtue of its location is in the Gbele Resource Reserve since it was established in 1975.
The Gbele Resource Reserve which is the only gazetted Wildlife Protected Area in the Upper West Region is the largest resource reserve in Ghana covering a land size of 565 kilometres square.
The Sissala East Municipality, Sissala West and Daffiama-Bussie-Issa Districts are the three political enclaves playing host to the Gbele Reserve.
The Park Manager of the Gbele Resource Reserve, Dr. Nana Owusu-Ansah said although, the resettlement programme went through some difficulties, all the stakeholders have been able to accomplished the task they set for themselves.
He pointed out that the Reserve was established to conserve an area of undisturbed Guinea Savannah to ensure ecological integrity of natural ecosystems necessary for the maintenance of viable populations of flora and fauna species.
Dr Owusu-Ansah indicated that: “The Reserve is a refuge for a number of fauna species such as the Roan Antelopes, Waterbucks, Kobs, Bushbucks and Crocodiles. It is also the home of rare bird species like the Northern Carmine Bee Eater and the Gambaga Fly Catcher.”
“A successful resettlement programme as we are witnessing today is to kindle the Gbele Resource Reserve resources potential to contribute to the socio-economic development of the three political districts through ecotourism development and other environmentally based businesses,” he noted.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih who cut the tape to inaugurate the new Gbele community which is 7.5 kilometres from Old Gbele was beside himself with joy and commended the various parties for a successful resettlement deal.
“It gladdens my heart to hear that the chief and people of the Gbele community accepted to be relocated when the management of the Forestry Commission approached them on the issues, having realized that they were the only community settled inside the boundaries of the reserve. Let me use this rare opportunity to commend you, the chief and people of the Gbele community for your cooperation to ensure the success of the resettlement so as to save the forest and its contents,” Dr Bin Salih opined.
The Director, Stakeholder and Eco-tourism, Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, Dr. Richard Gyimah hinted on the Commission’s readiness to join forces with those who want to venture into eco-tourism.
He stated: “The Gbele Resource Reserve has a huge potential for eco-tourism development with products such as game viewing, bird hunting, wildlife photography, among other tourism products that can be developed. We call on the private sector to team up with the wildlife Division to develop and market these products that can serve as important employment avenues for the youth of Gbele.”
“The Commission is so much in support of eco-tourism development to the extent that now in the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, we have an Eco-tourism and Stakeholder Directorate which tells you that the commission is ready to support every development partner that wants to engage in eco-tourism,” Dr Gyimah affirmed.
Dr Richard Gyimah who deputized for the Executive Director of the Wildlife Division announced that women of the new Gbele settlement camp would be allowed to gather essential non-timber forest products such as: the baobab seeds, shea nuts and dawadawa from the reserve when they are in season.
He intimated that the move will enhance the livelihoods of the households, particularly of the women during the lean season.
In an a speech read for the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey, he admonished those being resettled to help with the protection of the Gbele Resource Reserve from which a lot of benefits will be derived.
The Director of Operations, Wildlife Division, Luri Kanton Bahian who presented Mr. Allotey’s address, encouraged the residents of New Gbele to desist from poaching, illegal felling of tress and what he termed “all other forest illegalities” that will impact negatively on the Reserve.
Mr Bahian remarked that: “We should not forget that our survival here depends to a large extent on this rich resource [Reserve].” He was very thankful to stakeholders particularly the chiefs and people of Gbele for their cooperation and understanding in the execution of a national project.
A spokesperson for the New Gbele community, Luki Yussif asked for a compensation package from the government for those being resettled. Other requests from him included additional boreholes, a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound as well as access roads to the community.
The Paramount Chief of Gwollu, Kuoru Kuri Buktie-Limann who chaired the ceremony symbolically presented the key to New Gbele to Mr. Alidu Abudu who represented the Chief of Gbele, Kuoro Kassim Kanton.
Story Filed By: Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo