Wulugu, (N/R), June 18, GNA - The government has initiated a Country Strategic Investment Framework for Sustainable Land Management (GSIF) to prevent further land degradation through out the country. The programme, under a multi-partner initiative known as the TerrAfrica seeks to restore and safeguard land use productivity and also secure the ecosystem.

This would be achieved through the mainstreaming of sustainable land management in the development framework of Ghana at all levels, as well as improve the governance of land management decisions and improve rural livelihoods.

Miss Sherry Ayittey, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology announced this at the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, at Wulugu in the West Mamprusi District on Wednesday. She said the TerrAfrica platform was also aimed at increasing the scale, efficiency and effectiveness of investments towards sustainable land management in sub-Saharan Africa.

The theme for this year's celebration was: "Sustainable Land and Water Management for Poverty Reduction." Miss Ayittey said the programme was also to build the capacity and strengthen the enabling environment around Sustainable Land Management (SLM), while removing barriers to scaling up the mainstreaming and financing of the country-driven SLM.

Miss Ayittey said the Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP), which is a five year Canadian funded project was another laudable initiative designed to address land degradation, especially at the grass-root community levels.

She said the goal of the project was to support the government to address desertification in the three northern regions by strengthening Ghanaian institutions, and the rural communities to enable them adopt sustainable land management systems, that improve food security and reduce poverty.

Miss Ayittey said pre-implementation activities on the GEMP, such as the Project Operational Plan (POP), Initial Project Plan (IPP) and sensitization to create awareness among stakeholders had been completed and the ground activities would start next month.

She noted that gradually bushfire control and natural resource protection were becoming an integral part of the local culture in some communities, and assured that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would continue to encourage and support efforts to improve environmental conditions for a better future.

She announced that her Ministry would soon introduce solar stoves to the rural communities to reduce their dependence on fuel wood for cooking.

Mr. Jonathan Allotey, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said other on-going programmes to reverse the trend of desertification included the implementation of the Integrated Community Livelihood Support Programme, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He said the programme involved the planting of economic trees, supply of improved seeds, small ruminants and guinea fowl rearing among families.

He said the EPA had for the past two years collaborated with six districts in the northern regions to pilot the programme and this would be scaled up in subsequent years to include four other districts. Mr. Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern Regional Minister expressed concern about the degradation of the environment and entreated all district assemblies in the region to enact appropriate by-laws to regulate the cultivation of crops close to water bodies. He called on the people of the three regions to work tirelessly to break the perpetuated cycle of poverty and land degradation and seek alternative livelihoods for natural resource dependent communities.