THE LAUNCH OF GHANA LANDSCAPE RESTORATION AND SMALL-SCALE MINING PROJECT

The Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project(GLRSSMP) a joint World Bank and Government of Ghana project under an IDA credit facility, has been virtually launched on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. The project was approved by the World Bank Board on August 30, 2021 and has a closing date of September 30, 2027.

The Government of Ghana (GoG) has in recent years initiated several sectoral reforms to address the challenges in agricultural productivity, forest landscapes management, and sustainable small-scale mining. The GoG initiated ASM regularization to enhance regulatory compliance. Significantly, integrated landscape management over the years have gained increased recognition and has proven to offer solutions to challenges that cut across several sectors. This emphasized the importance of moving beyond single sector interventions in order to take into account the resilience of both ecosystems and people.

The World Bank merged the Landscape Restoration Project of the EPA under the policy direction of the Ministry of Environment Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) with the Ghana ASM Formalisation Project of the MLNR into the GLRSSMP in order to build synergies for institutional collaboration and data sharing and to demonstrate improved results.

The Project Development Objective is to strengthen integrated natural resource management and increase benefits to communities in targeted savannah and cocoa forest landscapes with focus on the following interventions: land-use planning for ILM to optimize land use; formalization of ASM for sustainable mining; restoration of degraded lands for agricultural productivity; and strengthening of sustainable management of forest landscapes for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services.

Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, during his address, expressed the commitment of President Akufo-Addo’s Government to ensuring the success of the project, to be total and unflinching. He urged all partners to collaborate to ensure the Project's success. "I will respectfully urge all implementing agencies to continue to work collaboratively and in good faith to ensure the Project's success."

Hon. Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, who launched the project, stated that the GLRSSMP will be based on the achievements and lessons learned from the Ghana Environmental Management Project.

In his remarks, Mr. Pierre Frank Laporte, Country Director of the World Bank, stated that the project will strongly and steadfastly support the GoG's efforts to promote integrated landscape management that cuts across various environmental sectors, particularly agriculture, forestry, and mining.

The project is expected to establish improved and sustainable land management practices, enforce ASM formalization, create jobs and improve revenue for small-scale miners and cash crop farmers. The project will contribute to the Government of Ghana efforts towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals 1, 13, and 15.

Dr. John Krugu, the National Project Coordinator and a task team lead for the project, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the project's organizers and partners for working tirelessly to make the event, albeit virtual, a huge success, as well as to the World Bank for all of its support.