The Sanyiga Kasena Gavara Kara (SKGK), a Community-Based Organization(CBO) has started processes to implement a Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) in the Kassena West District, of the Upper East Region, to protect the forest reserve and wildlife in the area.

The new CREMA located in Kayoro, falls within the Chiana and the Sisilly Forest reserves and the communities around the area, are trained to ensure that the forest vegetative cover, wildlife and other natural features are protected from illegal activities.

The Chiefs and committees in those communities would also be educated on by-laws governing forest protection and boundary separation.

The three reserves in the area are the PIDO Hills forest reserve, the Chiana Forest reserve in the Kassena Nankana West District and Sissilly North in the Sisaala East District, where a total of nine communities are found namely Kayoro, Katiu, Nakong, Kapu, Wuru, Basisong, Kunchogo, Banum and Pido where Kayoro and Katiu are adjacent to the Nazinga Game Reserve.

As part of the preparation processes, the SKGK CREMA is being supported by the BUSAC Fund to enable it to increase sensitization activities and is expected to educate people on the by-laws and boundary separation efforts of Forest Reserves.

Mr Frank Pwamebam, the Executive Secretary of SKGK who thanked BUSAC Fund for the support, reiterated the need for proper processes to be followed in the implementation process.

He noted that it was important to involve the CREMA communities, volunteers and committee members in the process of demarcating the forestry boundaries.

“We want the people to benefit from the CREMA and to also sustainably use their natural resource properly and therefore there is the need to make proper enforcement of the laws and proper boundary demarcations,” Mr Pwamebam reiterated in an interview with the GNA in Bolgatanga.

He said climate change was fast approaching and noted that putting in place adaptation plans will help communities to mitigate climate change and its toll on natural resources.

He said the on-going education was a way to ensure proper procedures were followed and prevented people from encroaching on the resource.

Mr Pwamebam said the implementation of the CREMA will help improve livelihood activities in the nearby communities that will help the people to undertake initiatives to enhance sustainable management of their areas.

He invited all other benevolent organizations to help SKGK to achieve its plans, saying, “SKGK’s unique position will also promote tourist attraction to the place as the CREMAs boundaries are close to the Nazinga game reserve”.

Mr John Naada, the outgoing Upper East Regional Forestry Manager, who also granted an interview to the GNA, said that Forest Reserves served as the core zone of all the CREMAs and called for proper management of the resource.

He said the high temperatures being experienced at present called for a reorientation of communities to influence people to protect natural resources.

He said six CREMAs had been established in the Region and urged development organisations to commit more to improve natural resource management.

SKGK went into full operation in 2016 with a first-time joint funding support from BUSAC Fund towards preparation and gazetting of the by-laws.