Reports clearly demonstrate that sustainable intensification through agroforestry can be used as a mechanism for avoiding conversion of more forest in the landscape to agricultural land whiles improving food security and rural wellbeing. This also provides an enabling environment for enhancing REDD+ agendas.

It is therefore recommended, that local level actions must be supported by strong cross-sectoral programmes and plans which are embedded in national policies. These actions should also hinge on clarity of tenure arrangements and benefit sharing schemes to promote climate smart agriculture practices, improved fallow, viable nature-based livelihoods and forest landscape restoration.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYCommunities fringing the Mole National Park in the savanna eco-zone of Ghana depend largely on the natural resources around them. Livelihoods mainly from farming, livestock and harvesting of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) coupled with very low income levels and high illiteracy rates have increased dependence and over exploitation of the forest resources. Problems associated with farming (lack of agriculture labour, credit and extension) effects of climate change (erratic rainfall, high temperatures etc.), excessive tree-felling, proximity of the park to the villages (which results in crop raiding) and low government investment in the landscape are some of the challenges the communities face.

INTRODUCTIONThe Mole Ecological Landscape encompasses the Mole National Park, which is the largest biologically diverse savannah ecosystem and the largest protected area in Ghana. The park is situated within a fairly undisturbed guinea savannah eco-zone. Communities within the landscape depend largely on ecosystem services and resources around and within the park. They derive their livelihoods mainly from farming, livestock rearing and wild resource harvesting such as honey, Shea and Dawadawa.

The Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) approach integrates participatory wildlife conservation initiatives with rural economic development through active natural resource assessment and planning activities in a holistic manner. It hinges on a governance system that adapts existing recognized social leadership frameworks and is strengthened by state recognition through devolution of management authority and empowerment with enforceable legal frameworks.

IUCN collaborated with A Rocha Ghana to carry out a study to identify opportunit ies for interventions around Mole National Park which

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Map Showing Land uses within CREMAs around Mole National

Park (A Rocha Ghana), 2015

BRIEF

ENHANCING COMMUNITY LIVELIHOODS AND PROMOTING REDD+ AGENDA WITHIN THE MOLE ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE

AUGUST, 2017

both enhance livelihoods and promote REDD+ Agendas as well as some baseline socio-economic surveys for the landscape. This brief therefore reviews the two reports and highlights the key messages and lessons to enhance livelihoods and promote REDD+ Agendas around the Mole National Park.

Gill Shepherd, 2016. Opportunities for interventions around Mole National Park which both enhance Livelihoods and promote REDD+ agendas Westerberg Vanja, 2015. Baseline Socio-Economic and agricultural household survey for the communities of Murugu and Yazori neighbouring Mole National Park in Northern Ghana

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The reports indicate that the average resident in cash terms, earns between 17 and 31 USD cents a day. 38% of the overall household income is from cash whiles the remaining 72% comes from subsistence use of forest resources (shea, honey, etc), agricultural crops and livestock. This also reveals the high dependency of these communities on natural resources and agriculture, with the vulnerable (poor and women) having a higher dependency rate. High dependence on agriculture (which is constrained in general not by land availability but by labour availability) and the forest is reflected in high rates of forest clearing and degradation. Communities in the landscape have committed communal lands to sustainable land use management systems, and are being supported to pursue green livelihood strategies geared towards enhancing diversification and enhancement of the local economy and also towards attainment of REDD+ goals.

Efforts are also being made to identify the best benefit sharing arrangements for successful REDD+ implementation in Ghana. Some benefit sharing models have been identified within recogn ised na tu ra l resource and fo res t management mechanisms such as the Modified Taungya System (MTS), Commercial Forest Plantation Development Programme (CFPDP), Community Resource Management Area (CREMA). Earlier stakeholder consultations conducted by IUCN identified three horizontal benefit sharing distribution arrangements that could be adapted for REDD plus implementation at the local/ landscape level. These include community managed revolving credit schemes, individual payments schemes and a combination of these two (hybrid). All these identified mechanisms need to be tested and tailored to suit peculiar contexts.

Generally, land is inherited patrilineally and women have to work on their husbands' farms. Women however have full access to resources especially Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and fuelwood on the landscape and derive full benefits from its sale or use. The important contribution of NTFPs to secured livelihoods implies that women contribute massively to the economy.

The mean annual cash and non-cash household income amounts to GH � 4,160, which is equivalent to GH � 10.5 per day per household. 20-30% of this income is derived from wild resource harvests, 35-50% from agricultural production, and 10-31% from livestock production, depending on the village under consideration.

These figures indicate that farmers adopt diversified livelihood strategies, relying significantly on NTFPs such as Honey, Dawadawa and Shea, to complement their agricultural income.

Agricultural production in the landscape is generally characterised by:

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RESULTSThe results from the two surveys revealed that households own on average, 7 acres of land. These lands, which are under extensive rather than intensive cultivation, are characterised by low fertility.

Slash and burn methods Low (8%) to no application of fertilizers or

manure. Calendar also demonstrates that applications are normally undertaken close to harvesting which makes them less effective

Nutrient demanding crops, including Cassava, Yam and Maize are the three most cultivated crops in the area. Leguminous nitrogen fixating crops only constitute 3%.

Interview with farmer (Vanja Westerberg), 2015

Very low access to extension services leading to lack of knowledge and

appropriate farming materials. Low quality farm inputs (fertilizers, seeds

etc.) Harvesting is undertaken in months with

highest rainfall (September and October) which can affect yields.

Woman Processing Shea (Saadia Bobtoya Owusu-Amofah /

IUCN Ghana), 2014

On the other hand, larger family sizes, especially larger number of children in the household is likely to lead to land clearing. This is to be expected, since food needs are greater and capacity of children to contribute to household income and to respond to those food needs is less.

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in Crop raiding) and low government investment in the landscape are some of the challenges and problems identified. Interestingly, household heads that are below the age of 55, and have primary or secondary school education, tend to have more trees on their farm which translates into higher yields, and thus, more income.

of Ghana considering the dynamics of tenure (tree and land ) and complex i t i es in benefi t shar ing arrangements. In this particular landscape, it has been demonstrated that high-yielding agriculture can be effectively integrated with conservation of wildlife and forest resources. While attention on the potential of the savannah region for REDD+ has been low for some time now, considerable improvements have been chalked with efforts underway towards the development of a new Emissions Reductions Program (ERP) for the Shea landscape.

The governance, institutional, and legal frameworks of CREMAs provide a very useful tool/ platform for community participation in sustainable resource management. The uniqueness of the CREMA model as a community owned process, built on self-will, and informed consent, respect and recognition for site specific diversity in management and governance style works as a means of mobilization for safeguarding livelihoods and fostering conservation. This therefore provides unique opportunities for the implementation of innovative mechanisms such as REDD+ and Payment for Ecosystem Service (PES) schemes.

The reviewed reports demonstrate that sustainable intensification through agroforestry can be used as a mechanism to mitigate against the conversion of more forest for agricultural purpose in the landscape while improving food security and rural wellbeing and thereby enhancing REDD+ agendas.

It is also worth noting, that fallow periods have declined from an average of 4.3 years to 3.7 years coupled with evidence of reduced crop yield for the last 5 years.

Problems associated with farming (lack of agriculture labour and credit � principal obstacle), effects of climate change (erratic rainfall, high temperatures etc.), excessive tree-felling, proximity of the park to the villages (which results

CONCLUSIONREDD+ opportunities in the landscape may prove to be greater than it is in the southern part

RECOMMENDATIONSA full pilot programme in the Mole Ecological landscape will create a substantial contribution to the progress of REDD+ in Ghana. This programme should possibly, move beyond mere provision of �alternative� livelihoods to other programs such as improved fallowing, the blending of adaptation with mitigation approaches to climate change, and with some forest landscape restoration (FLR) interventions.

Temporarily, short-term actions can be undertaken such as piloting the full devolution of rights to communities and capturing lessons learned in a project context, while supporting local government and traditional authorities in administering land and natural resource use rights arrangements.

Specifically: 1. For REDD+ to thrive, clearer land and tree

tenure arrangements must be put in place. This clarifies who holds the rights to and who bears responsibility for livelihoods and REDD+ benefits. Pervasive tenure insecurity poses a challenge for implementing performance-based systems; it also potentially encourages more deforestation and undermines local livelihoods.

2. It is necessary to embed climate change mit igat ion act ions in nat ional laws, regulations, protocols, practices and other institutions of the state to ensure continuity in contexts often characterized by electoral uncer ta in ty. On ly in th is way, can jurisdictional and nested REDD+ be founded on a durable institutional basis essential for a forest-based climate change mitigation mechanism to develop in a stable and resilient way.

3. There is a strong need for cross-sectoral coordination and integration with other sector plans and programmes. REDD+ initiatives must be entrenched in local, district, regional and national development and strategic plans.

4. It is necessary to provide CREMAs within the Mole Ecological Landscape with long term sustainable source of funding to support biodiversity conservation, livelihoods and other related sustainable development objectives. Hence, the ongoing process to set up the Mole Ecological Landscape Conservation Trust Fund (MELCTF) must be encouraged and supported.

Monitoring by CREMA Resource Monitoring Unit(Godwin Evenyo Dzekoto / A Rocha Ghana), 2015

5. REDD+ and other conservation approaches must be implemented to provide:

Integrat ion of c l imate mit igat ion and adaptation strategies into farming practices

Access to sustainable and high quality farm inputs;

Extension services on appropriate timing and application rates of fertilizers, manuring, sowing and harvesting

Raise awareness about the favorable ecological interactions generated by trees and other leguminous species such as beans in farming systems.6. Fallow systems should be researched and

strategies encouraging communities to prolong the farm fallow periods must be adopted, so that trees are retained for longer, allowed to grow larger, restore fertility and capture more carbon.

7. Market-driven viable nature-based livelihoods must be further examined and supported to supplement incomes of these communities. Livelihoods and incomes should not be negatively impacted by REDD+ interventions.

HEAD OFFICEP. O. BOX KN 3480ACCRA-GHANATel. +233 (0) 302222417 ghana.arocha.org

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Prepared by: Godwin Evenyo Dzekoto, A Rocha Ghana

This Policy Brief is mainly a synthesis of key messages from reports produced under IUCN's 'Promoting rights-based approaches to strengthen the conservation, governance and sustainable management of landscapes Phase II Project' (2014-2017) 'REDD+ Benefits: Facilitating countries and the and communities in the design of pro-poor REDD-Plus benefit sharing schemes Project' (2013-2015). Namely: (i) Baseline Socio-Economic and agricultural household survey for the communities of Murugu and Yazori neighbouring Mole National Park in Northern Ghana (2015) by Westerberg Vanja (ii) Opportunities for interventions around Mole National Park which both enhance Livelihoods and promote REDD+ agendas (2016) by Gill Shepherd.

A ROCHA GHANA

Partners and Sponsors:

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

GHANA PROJECT OFFICE P. O. BOX GP 527ACCRA- GHANATel: +233 54 156 6408; +233 55663 8763www.iucn.org