Tamale: The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), through its local network chapter GLFx Tamale, is actively leveraging indigenous knowledge and traditional practices to foster environmental sustainability and forest conservation in the Yiworgu community within the Savelugu Municipality.
According to Ghana News Agency, at the core of this initiative is the Maltiti Shrine, a 12-acre sacred forest preserved over generations through spiritual reverence and customary taboos that prohibit tree felling, hunting, and other destructive activities. The Maltiti Shrine, meaning 'Make things better for us,' embodies the community's philosophy of harmony between humans and nature, guiding ongoing conservation efforts.
Mr. Abukari Wumbei Gundadow, the Chief Priest of the shrine, shared with visiting journalists that the protection of the grove is deeply rooted in spiritual reverence and adherence to sacred rules. He recounted a cautionary tale of a woman who violated these rules by cutting down a tree, later suffering fatal consequences, reinforcing the community's respect for the shrine's laws.
The grove, hosting indigenous tree species such as Shea, Dawadawa, and Baobab, stands as a testament to how culture and traditions support environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. Additionally, the Maltiti Shrine serves as a center for healing, fertility, and spiritual protection, attracting visitors from across Ghana.
Recognizing the strength of indigenous systems, the GLFx Tamale Chapter, led by the Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems (RAINS), collaborates with the Yiworgu community to promote sustainable land use, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. Mr. Mohammed Kamel Damma of GLFx Tamale emphasized the role of traditional knowledge in complementing modern sustainability practices, showcasing the Yiworgu experience as a model for integrating local wisdom with modern approaches to afforestation and agroecology.
He explained that farmers in the Savannah Ecological Zone are being supported to adopt composting, reduce chemical fertilizer use, and practice organic pest control, thereby restoring soil fertility and promoting sustainable agriculture. In partnership with the African Biodiversity Network, they have cultivated an acre of Tig trees to improve soil quality and local ecosystem restoration.
Mr. Hardi Tijani, Executive Director of RAINS, highlighted the valuable lessons traditional practices offer in addressing environmental and climate challenges. He emphasized that protecting sacred forests, like the Maltiti Shrine, is crucial alongside tree planting as a climate response. RAINS and its partners are also reviving indigenous seed varieties, enhancing food security, and promoting economic tree cultivation, especially Shea, to empower women and smallholder farmers.
Tijani underscored the shrine's cultural and spiritual significance, noting that its preservation illustrates how indigenous spirituality and cultural values can drive community-led conservation and support national climate action goals. This engagement formed part of a media tour organized by the GLF through its GLFx network and in collaboration with the African Forest Forum to showcase local initiatives linking traditional knowledge, sustainable land use, and climate action.
The tour emphasized integrating indigenous knowledge, nature-based solutions, and modern science to advance climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those on climate action, life on land, and poverty reduction. Through this initiative, the GLF and its partners aim to amplify local conservation stories, demonstrating that the fusion of ancient wisdom and modern science offers enduring solutions for people, nature, and the planet.
