Ho Dec. 4, GNA- The German Government funded Forest Resource Use and Management (FORUM) Project in the Volta region has succeeded in fighting forest degradation and restoring large areas of the forests in the region.

The 15-year (1993-2008) project focused on Adomi River, Kabo River, Kpandu-West block, Kpandu-Dayi block and Abutia hills forest reserves. Mr Winfred Bimah, Volta Regional Forest Project Manager told a forum of stakeholders that the project has been able to restore a total of 14,212 hectares of degraded forest by 2006 as against 6,400 hectares in 1996. He said in 1993 there were 600 hectares of woodlots but this was increased to 5,817 by 2007. Mr Bimah said close to 10,000 people benefited from the project by way of employment and acquisition of forest conservation techniques, while 3,500 households in the project areas now have improved agricultural practices.

But as the 25 million Deutsche Marks (12.5 million) Euro project ends in February 2008, the German Ambassador, Dr Marius Haas said his Government was much interested in seeing that the successes chalked were sustained and improved upon. Dr Haas expressed the wish during a courtesy call on the Volta Regional Minister Mr Kofi Dzamesi as part of a stakeholders forum on the project at Ho.

He said though the German government has ended its funding of the FORUM project, there were other donor-funding facilities, which Ghana could utilize in sustainable forest management. Professor Ashie Quartey, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission said the project has trained several forestry officials to strengthen forest management in anticipation of the end of the project. "I wish to assure our German friends that the gains made by the project will not go into the drain. I promise that the forestry Commission and the government will take the task of supporting the fire prevention activities", he said.