IWMI Launches Inclusive Landscape Management Plan in Ahafo Ano SouthWest District.

Accra: The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in collaboration with local stakeholders, has successfully launched the Inclusive Landscape Management Plan (ILMP) for Ahafo Ano South West District. This strategic initiative marks a step forward in sustainable landscape management and resilience in agricultural and food systems in the region.According to Ghana News Agency, the plan addresses critical environmental and agricultural challenges such as illegal mining, deforestation, and the impacts of climate change, which threaten local food security and community well-being. Presenting an overview of the project at the opening session, Dr. Seifu Admassu Tilahum, Senior Researcher at IWMI and Project Co-lead, explained that the project extends beyond the reclamation of degraded mining lands. "It is an inclusive landscape management plan for the Ahafo Ano South-West District for a better agri-food system. So, the degraded land is part of the whole landscape system," he said.Dr. Tilahum highlighte d that since 2022, the project team had been working to understand the landscape's situation alongside community needs and demands to improve the agri-food system, collaborating with stakeholders to find solutions to challenges impacting the system. "We came up with a comprehensive landscape management plan, which addresses several issues in terms of agricultural productivity, socio-economic condition, and environmental issues due to mining and the use of fertilizers for cocoa production," he added.The launch of the plan aims to ensure that the District Assembly, which was involved in its preparation, embraces it as part of their routine work and mid-term plan for the next five years. The piloting engagement work included post-mining land reclamation, where parts of the land were reclaimed with oil palm plantations in collaboration with the district assembly and traditional authorities.Additionally, Dr. Tilahum noted that a consultant had been engaged to prepare a memorandum of understanding for the inves tment plan to attract investors, with plans to scale up the inclusive landscape management plan through a training manual for other district assemblies to adopt a similar approach. The process is also being implemented in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Burundi, following the same methodology.Madam Habiba Abdulai, Planning Officer for Ahafo Ano West District, mentioned that about half of the farmlands in the area were used for illegal mining, adversely affecting agricultural activities. With support from IWMI and traditional authorities, some portions of the degraded lands were reclaimed by planting oil palm. "The difference we have now is that at least we have been able to reclaim the land and are considering reclaiming the rest of the remaining lands to boost agriculture and socioeconomic activity in the district," she stated, commending the chief and traditional authority for their efforts in ensuring the success of the reclamation program.The one-day event gathered district assemblies, traditional authorities, l ocal community members, farmers, NGOs, private sector representatives, and donors to align efforts and commit to the ILMP. Group discussions focused on investment opportunities and collaborative strategies to enhance landscape management, with innovative solutions like Farmer-led Nature Regeneration, oil palm for degraded landscape reclamation, post-harvest loss innovations, and solar-powered irrigation.