An initiative has been launched at Kukpalgu in the Mion District in the Northern Region to restore degraded landscapes, strengthen climate resilience and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers across the Northern and Upper East regions. 

The project seeks to support and incentivise smallholder farmers and pastoral households to adopt diverse and profitable regreening practices by strengthening policy environments, improving local governance systems, empowering women and youth, and stimulating investment in restoration efforts.

It also seeks to benefit at least 200,000 smallholder households, enhancing community resilience through healthier soils, more diverse agricultural systems, improved food and nutrition security, higher incomes and strengthened green enterprises.

Dubbed Phase II of the Regreening Africa (RA II), the project is being launched by World Vision Ghana (WVG) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in partnership with World Agroforestry (ICRAF), with funding from the European Union (EU).

Restoration

Launching the project, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Rune Skinnebach, said Phase II of the project builds on the success of Phase I, which restored nearly one million hectares of land and supported over 600,000 households across eight African countries from 2017 to 2023.

She said the project had been recognised as a UN World Restoration Flagship for large-scale ecosystem restoration work and aligns with Ghana’s commitments to the AFR100 Initiative, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and national climate adaptation priorities.

“We are here today because we believe in solutions. Damaged land can be restored; the results of Phase I are encouraging.

Communities can adapt and succeed when they have the right tools and support. The EU is proud to continue supporting the Regreening Africa initiative,” he said.

For her part, the National Director of World Vision Ghana, Dr Tinah Mukunda, indicated that over 5,452 households were reached and 5,117 hectares of land restored in the first phase of the project.

She reaffirmed the consortium’s commitment to sustainable restoration, empowerment of women and youth, strengthening value chains, and improving livelihoods.

The Head of Programming at CRS Ghana, Francis Gumah, lauded the partnerships between the various partners as a key factor for the success of the first phase of the project, citing the Northern Restoration Initiative, a multi-stakeholder platform for coordinated restoration planning and action.

The Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf Joh, described the project as a “strategic pathway for climate resilience, food security, social stability, and economic transformation”.

He, therefore, pledged the support of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council to ensure the success of the project.

Phase II of the project would be implemented by a consortium led by CIFOR-ICRAF, alongside World Vision, CRS, CARE, Sahel Eco, and Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF).