Ghana's Northern Savanna Biodiversity Project

Goals

• To support conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in the three northern regions of Ghana
• We are concentrating most on medicinal plants and indigenous crops as components of biodiversity

Policy level activity

• Contributing to the national biodiversity strategy and action plan
• Developing a specific savanna biodiversity action plan
• Dealing with Intellectual Property Rights
• Promoting international corridors for wildlife

Northern Ghana indigenous crops

• Inventory of indigenous crops and promoting cultivation through farmer networks
• Promote awareness of indigenous varieties through publications and workshops

• The most important indigenous crops are Sorghum, Millet, yams,  fruits and vegetables
• We are concentrating on 24 local hotspots of indigenous crop cultivation
• So far, 34 varieties of roots and tuber; 16 legumes; 28 cereals; 7 species of wild fruit

• Wildlife corridors between Burkina, Ghana and Togo
• Park management support includes management plans for 5 reserves and 2 two wildlife parks
• Involving fringe communities through committees and park advisory boards
• Piloting restoration techniques in six degraded sites

• Establishment of medicinal plant gardens
• Support to traditional healer associations and individual "champions" who will lead the way for others
• Development of a small herbarium, a satellite to the national herbarium in Accra.

• Biodiversity awareness creation through school clubs and various media
• Publication of images and data through the Virtual Field Herbarium

Implemented by Ministry of Lands, Forestry and mines 

In collaboration with the ministries of agriculture, local government, health and environment

World Bank Task Team Leader: Paola Agostini. email