EXCERPT FROM THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL’S RAP SURVEY 47

Recently, dear reader, a team led by the Executive Director of the Minerals Commission of Ghana, Mr. Aryee, visited part of the P. E. Thompson Estate's (PETE) Akim Abuakwa Juaso freehold nature-resource reserve (AANRR), in the Atewa Range (on 21/12/2010,i.e.). This was as a result of objections raised by the PETE, to the size of the Kibi Goldfields concession, and the continuing illegal activities in the area of Solar Mining Limited, designated as a "co-operator" by the concession owner, the insolvent (for over a decade!) Kibi Goldfields.

The PETE, together with some members of the communities in the area, intend to take Solar Mining to court - and they are being helped in that direction by the anti-mining NGO, WACAM, which has solicited the help of the Centre for Public Interest Law (CPIL), on their behalf.

Incidentally, a little under 5 square miles of the PETE's unencumbered total landholding of some 14 square miles, lies inside the official government reserve. The PETE's off-reserve forestland, according to a source with direct knowledge of the state of the Kakum National Park immediately before the construction of the forest canopy footbridges, is in far better condition and more beautiful today, than the Kakum rain forest was then.

At this juncture, I would like to acknowledge the support we have been receiving from Ghana's leading green tour company, M&J Travel and Tours Limited - which has been meeting the costs of consultants it has secured for the PETE, to prepare a project proposal, for a change in land-use: from agriculture to community-based eco-tourism. It has also promised to market the destination when the project is implemented successfully. This is corporate social responsibility at its best.

The implementation of the project will enable the PETE to build a series of forest canopy footbridges similar to that found at the Kakum National Park, and ten tree-house eco-lodges, as the centrepiece of a community-based eco-tourism destination. It is seeking funding for the project - which is intended to use community-based eco-tourism as a tool for conservation: to guarantee a sustainable future for it's landholding in the area: and by leveraging the carbon markets as a community carbon sequestration project, ensure a properous future for the people of Akim Abuakwa Juaso, as well as that of Saamang and Osino (long after the greedy rogues from Solar Mining have departed!).

Solar Mining has paid compensation to the PETE's immediate neighbours, whom it shares boundaries with, to mine gold. Yet those wealthy rogues do not have an EPA mining permit - and have publicly admitted to operating without official sanction. How can that be tolerated at a time of global climate change - and in an area that has been designated a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area (GSBA), and which performs such important eco-system services for Mother Ghana, I ask, dear reader?

For the elucidation of readers who have been following the PETE's efforts at halting the continuing defiance of the authorities by Solar Mining Limited, this blog is posting part of the recommendations contained in the Executive Summary of Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Survey 47. Hopefully the relevant sector ministers under whose brief the Minerals Commission and the Mining Department of the Environmental Protection Agency fall, will take a detailed look at Conservation International's RAP 47, and ask that both institutions take note of the recommendation that all mining and logging is banned in the area. Please read on.


"Conservation Recommendations

With an area of 23,663 ha, Atewa represents one of the largest
remaining forest blocks in Ghana and one of the largest
GSBAs. In Ghana there is no other place like Atewa. The
only other Upland Evergreen forest, in the Tano Ofin Forest
Reserve, is smaller and significantly more disturbed, and
the mountains near the border with Togo have a much drier
climate. Outside Ghana there are no upland forests with a
similar combination of species.

It is clear from the results of the RAP survey and previous
studies that the Atewa Range Forest Reserve is an
extremely important site for global biodiversity conservation
and should be protected to the fullest extent possible. However,
at the same time, the livelihood of the communities
around Atewa must be considered in order to ensure longterm
protection of the forest.
In order to protect the integrity of Atewa and its biodiversity,
we propose two principal recommendations:

I. Within Atewa, the Government of Ghana should delimit
and establish an integrally protected area with
high protection status, such as a National Park, that
includes all remaining intact Upland Evergreen forest,
especially on the plateaus. A buffer zone covering
the more disturbed slopes and valleys of the reserve
should be established surrounding the core protected
area.

II. To ensure the sustainable protection of Atewa, alternative
incomes for the local communities, particularly
in Kibi, must be developed to reduce or eliminate
their dependence on extractive industries and forest
products from Atewa.
To elaborate:

I. We recommend that the entire Atewa Range Forest
Reserve be protected to the fullest extent possible due to
its:

1) High levels of biodiversity (documented during this
RAP survey and previous studies), 2) Significant tract of
rare Upland Evergreen forest, and 3) Importance as a clean
water source for local communities and many of Ghana’s
metropolitan areas. We recommend that the legal status of
the reserve be upgraded to prohibit all exploitative activities,
including mining, logging, and agriculture in the reserve.

The entire extent of Atewa’s Upland Evergreen forest
must be protected because focusing conservation effort on
only a part of the range (such as only the northern part)
would lead to greater fragmentation of this unique forest
habitat, loss of its function as a biodiversity corridor, and,
ultimately, the likely loss of many of its species due to microclimatic
changes caused by diminishing forest coverage
and invasion of savanna elements into the reserve. The value
of Atewa lies not only in the presence of rare or threatened
species within its borders and the multiple ecosystem services
provided by this biotic community (including, but not
limited to, being a significant source of water to surrounding
areas), but also in being a unique and a very complex ecosystem,
one with a combination of species found nowhere else
on the planet.

Any alterations to its present, largely undisturbed state
will likely lead to a more depauperate and homogenous
biological community with a lesser value to global biodiversity
and, on a local scale, the area will become a less effective
provider of ecosystem services such as pollination of
surrounding agricultures or provision of freshwater. Even
selective clearing of the plateaus would undeniably affect
headwaters of major rivers and could have long-term destructive
consequences on the environment, principally by
increasing soil erosion on surrounding slopes and disturbing
the hydrographical net of the entire sub-region. Habitat loss
would put a number of species under serious threat of local
extinction.

Specific recommendations:

1. Delimit and establish an integrally protected area
with high protection status, such as a National Park,
that includes all the remaining intact Upland Evergreen
forest within Atewa, especially on the plateaus.

We agree with previous recommendations for Atewa
(Hawthorne 1998) that many parts of the lower slopes
are heavily over-used and degraded and that priority
areas for protection should be the forests on the higher
altitude plateaus, slopes, and ravines as well as the forest
remaining on the steep slopes. All forests on the plateaus
merit strict protection, including the 17,400 ha covered
with Upland Evergreen forest.

Critical areas that must be included in the core area
are: a) The entire northern part of the Atewa Range,
which is most intact, including the Asiakwa South and
North RAP sites, which have high levels of biodiversity,
a critically endangered frog species, and the Olive
colobus primate (see Table 4), b) The central plateau
area, including Atiwiredu, which has two black star tree
species and a high diversity of amphibians and butterflies,

c) Any Upland Evergreen forest areas remaining
in the reserve, and d) All plateau swamps and wetlands,
which soak up the rainwater and provide the source of
the Ayensu, Birim, and Densu rivers.

2. Establish a buffer zone covering the more disturbed
slopes and valleys of the reserve, particularly in the
southern areas of the reserve, for use by local com
munities within the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional
Area.

We concur with recommendations by Hawthorne
(1998) that there is great pressure on the lower slopes
that will most likely result in continued land use. The
lower slopes should be incorporated into a buffer zone
surrounding the protected area, within which sustainable
land use practices should be developed that will
restore and reforest degraded land.

3. Re-evaluate then Implement and Enforce the Atewa
Management Plan created by the Forestry Commission
of Ghana. Much thought and research has
already gone into evaluating the importance of Atewa’s
biodiversity and watershed values, and in developing a
management plan for its sustainable use (Abu-Juam et
al. 2003). Based on the additional information from the
RAP survey and other recent research, we recommend
that Atewa be fully protected. If this recommendation
is accepted and implemented, the Atewa management
plan will likely need to be revised to incorporate
management of a protected area and a buffer zone. A
management plan should include the sustainable use of
forest products (chewing sticks, fuel wood, etc.) in the
buffer zone to ensure that they are not depleted. The
new management plan should then be put into practice
and enforced by the Government of Ghana in order to
ensure that the area is protected.

4. Implement a collaborative approach between public
and private institutions, including local communities,
the Government of Ghana, international funding and
aid agencies, the mining industry and environmental
and social non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to
address and halt the threats currently and potentially
facing the reserve. Include scientific organizations and
universities to improve our scientific knowledge of the
area and to use these data for management of the protected
area. The delineation and mechanism for protecting
Atewa must take into consideration the high human
population around Atewa, their relatively high level of
poverty, as well as their dependence on the forests of
Atewa for much of their livelihood.

II. Explore alternative income opportunities in and
round Atewa for local communities to reduce their dependence
on extractive industries and bushmeat hunting.

The people living around Atewa understand the need to
conserve this treasured site. They have maintained this area,
preserving its biodiversity for all these years. The government
has also promulgated all the necessary legislation to the
extent that Atewa is designated as a GSBA and the RAP survey
and other studies have demonstrated its biological and
ecological importance. The issue now at hand is the fact that
there is bauxite available for exploitation whilst the people
are impoverished. Cocoa, formerly the main economic base
of the area, has now disappeared. The main road from Accra
to Kumasi, which used to pass through the commercial
capital of the Atewa area, has been diverted to save time and
short circuit the journey from Accra to Kumasi. The economy
of the Atewa area is now in very poor condition. The
employment opportunities offered by mining and other development
of Atewa are very attractive to people who are in
dire need of jobs. Even if the current development plans are
abandoned, other development plans and groups will surface
in the future. The key to preserving Atewa lies in building
an economic base for the local communities that will be an
alternative to the exploitation of the bauxite deposits and
timber of Atewa.

Specific recommendations:
1. Ecotourism is likely the best option for bringing
income to the region, particularly to Kibi, by transforming
Atewa forest into world class ecotourism center,
which will focus on the rare and beautiful species
identified during the RAP survey and other studies.
Atewa is located just a few hours drive from Accra and
Kumasi, which makes it an ideal tourist destination
for both local Ghanaian and international visitors. The
attractions of Atewa could include birds, butterflies,
insects, amphibians, primates, bats, the headwaters of
the three rivers, the unique floral species, forest hiking,
camp sites, swimming, and a retreat center. Tours could
be run through a visitor center or Multi-Use Center
(see below) and also through independent tour agents/
NGOs operating out of Kibi and other local villages.

Local hotels, restaurants, souvenir stands, and other
shops will be needed to support a tourist industry.
To achieve this, a group of tourism and biodiversity
experts should first develop a strategic plan with innovative
experiential tourism design for the attractions,
something unique comparable to the Kakum canopy
walkway, which will attract people in great numbers
to the site. The local community must be involved in
approving and developing the plans, and eventually take
over implementation of ecotourism activities. Alliances
with international tour operators will bring additional
international adventure and nature travelers to the
area. Partnerships with NGOs, companies, and other
organizations interested in ecotourism and the conservation
of Atewa should be formed. Already, Butterfly
Conservation Ghana has been promoting ecotourism
visits to Atewa with an international partner, EcoTours
(see http://www.ecotours.hu/butterflies/butterflies00/
ghana00). Projects such as these should be supported
and integrated into the Ecotourism plan for Atewa.

2. To facilitate Ecotourism, establish a Multi-use
Biodiversity Center near to Atewa. The center should
be based at the edge of Atewa so that visitors have easy
access to the forest and can enjoy the cooler climate
provided by the forest. It should also be located near to
Kibi or other villages so they also benefit from tourist
visits. The center could contain lodging, kitchen and
dining facilities, an educational center, classrooms,
meeting rooms, laboratories, and a library. This center
could also provide facilities for Christian or other religious
communities to use as a spiritual retreat for prayer
and meetings. Support for the center could come from
the Christian community (both national and international),
national government, international NGOs,
private companies, and national and international
universities. Most importantly, the center can be built,
maintained, and staffed by local community members,
thus providing long-term employment opportunities.
This center could serve many functions including those
listed below:

a) Research station to facilitate research of Atewa
and surroundings by Ghanaian and international
scientists, promote collaborations, and train biology
and natural resource management students;

b) Tourist/visitor center to bring ecotourism to
Atewa and provide information about its biodiversity
to visitors and residents;

c) Education center to raise awareness of the uniqueness
and importance of Atewa: provide classes and
training for local communities, jobs for local residents
as interpreters and teachers, and opportunities
for local and national school children to spend
a night in the rainforest, Integration of a research
and education center would provide opportunities
for Ghanaian scientists and students to share their
knowledge and research with tourists and local
students;

d) Spiritual retreat for the Christian community and/
or other local religions to have a place to get away
to meet together; both Ghanaian and international
Christian groups could use the center as a quiet and
spiritual meeting place;

e) Sustainable employment opportunity for local
community members as builders, managers, maintenance
and housekeeping, tour guides, researchers,
and research assistants.

3. Investigate the possibility of a Payment for Ecosystem
Services (PES) scheme through which the users of the
water provided by the watershed (e.g. Accra and other
cities) pay the local communities around Atewa for protection
of the forest and watershed. This would provide
income to the surrounding communities in return for
keeping the surrounding watershed and forest biodiversity
intact. This type of PES scheme has been successfully
implemented in many countries, most notably Costa
Rica, by governments, NGOs, and private organizations.
See McNeely (2007) for more information.

4. Investigate the current status and investments of
international development/aid projects that are
reported to be working in the Atewa area, including
the GEF/World Bank/Government of Ghana Community
Investment Fund Project, the GEF/World
Bank-sponsored Promoting Partnership with Traditional
Authorities Project (PPTAP) and the Government of
Ghana sponsored Presidential Initiative on Tree Plantations
Project on the communities around Atewa to support
development of alternative incomes. Small grants
can also be applied for through Conservation International’s
Verde Ventures program (www.verdeventures.
org). There are many examples of successful ventures
in all of the areas listed below that can be studied and
consulted as models for developing such projects in the
Atewa area.

5. Other potential alternative-income industries:
a) Butterfly farming - for sale of live butterfly
pupae to the global market,

b) Beekeeping - producing honey for local consumption
and for sale,

c) Farming of native ornamental fishes for
aquarium trade,

d) Producing products for the tourist trade
such as baskets, Kente cloth weavings, wood
carvings, etc.,

e) Alternatives to bushmeat hunting, such as
raising other types of animals for meat, including
grasscutters and snails,

f ) Orchards of fruit trees and nitrogen-fixing
crops (e.g. beans) on degraded land to provide
food and also stabilize erosion and renew the
soil.

Recommendations for Management of Atewa
I. Control hunting as it poses a significant threat to the
large mammals and larger birds within the entire reserve.
Hunting pressure is strong throughout Atewa, even
in the northern areas where there are no roads. Evidence
of hunting, including spent cartridges, snares and hunting
trails was found at all three RAP sites (see Table 4).
Healthy mammal and bird communities, as well as their
associated invertebrate communities, are especially important
for maintaining primary and secondary seed dispersal
that are essential for plant regeneration and forest dynamics.
Although hunting in the reserve currently mainly targets
mammals, certain large bird species, such as Crested
Guineafowl, Great Blue Turaco and large hornbills, are
also illegally hunted.

1) Prevent access to hunters along roads and trails.
Asiakwa North showed the most hunting evidence even
though there are no roads there. There is access to the
reserve through an extensive trail system used by local
communities. Existing roads at Asiakwa South and Atiwiredu
also provide easy access throughout the southern
part of the reserve. Most of these trails and existing
roads need to be allowed to grow over and should be
patrolled to prevent illegal access to the reserve. Regular
use of trails by tourists and researchers will also deter
illegal access and activities.

2) Engage local people from communities in the area,
particularly the community of Kibi, in protecting the
reserve and reducing hunting. Increase awareness of and
pride in the biodiversity and watershed importance of
Atewa among the local people through training. Involve
local people in research (see below) and enforcement
and provide education on the importance of conserving,
rather than hunting, large mammals and on alternatives
to bushmeat. Work with community Chiefs to establish
hunting guidelines and to develop strategies based on
their animal totems.

3) Empower and fund the Wildlife Department and the
Forestry Commission of the Government of Ghana
to protect the biodiversity of Atewa through increased
monitoring and patrols, especially for illegal hunting
(and logging). Enforce penalties for any illegal activities
or trespassing.

4) Make an alliance against hunting with all who have
access to Atewa, including local communities, government
agencies, development agencies, and NGOs.
This would help to control the distribution and sale of
bushmeat from Atewa and educate local people on the
importance of protecting globally threatened species
that live in their forests.

5) Conduct research to determine which larger mammal
and bird species are targeted and most heavily
impacted. The population sizes of key species that are
most heavily hunted and most highly threatened in this
area can then be determined and used to inform more
specific recommendations on conserving key species
threatened by hunting.

II. Protect the headwaters of the Ayensu, Densu, and
Birim rivers that originate within the Atewa Range.
The steady flow of clean water off the Atewa Range is
determined by the capacity of the soil, swamps and forest
on the plateaus and in the valleys to store and filter
rainwater, and to buffer for spates and droughts. Both
human and wildlife populations around Atewa depend
on this healthy and reliable resource for their survival.
The threatened frog species found on the range and the
high diversity of dragonflies and damselflies rely on the
watershed.

The RAP results indicate a healthy watershed in
Atewa and the surrounding area, with limited pollution
and streambed erosion. This is confirmed by the presence
of forest species even in more disturbed landscapes.
However, activities entailing the removal of vegetation
or mineral deposits from the range could seriously compromise
its capacity to store, buffer and filter rainwater,
jeopardizing the reliable discharge of freshwater into the
region’s rivers, an essential resource for millions of Ghanaians
and a rich biodiversity.

1) Protect the plateau forests in the upper catchment
of the Ayensu, Densu and Birim rivers. Control and
restrict access to the forests and swamps, especially
with regard to small-scale miners, loggers and shifting
cultivation plots. Create a strict protected area on the
plateaus as discussed above.

2) Leave buffer zones of vegetation of at least 100 m
around water bodies (e.g., rivers, swamps and other
inundation zones) if any activities are to take place
in the reserve (including the Multi-use Station). Any
removal of forest cover from stream banks must be
rigorously controlled and monitored.

3) Prevent sedimentation and runoff from mining,
roads, and clearings, which all have negative impacts
on the water quality in the streams. Especially in the
southern part of Atewa, human activities including logging,
agriculture, hunting, and roads currently threaten
the integrity of the aquatic ecosystems. These impacts
are particularly high in the foothills.

4) Initiate a water-quality monitoring program of the
status of several key aquatic taxa (including fishes,
amphibians, plants, and selected invertebrate groups) as
well as water quality and sedimentation to create a baseline
and identify negative impacts to aquatic resources
before they become irreversible. Monitoring specific
responses to certain indicators is essential. We recommend
following standard aquatic monitoring protocols
at regular intervals (at least twice a year).

5) Educate local communities on the benefits of
preserving riparian flora and fauna so that they
understand the role that riparian vegetation plays in preserving
the quality and quantity of their water, as well as
preventing soil erosion.

III. Maintain corridors and large tracts of forest to
ensure survival of larger species and to maintain
ecosystem processes. Linking patches of forest by corridors
is important to addressing the increasing problem
of habitat fragmentation, both within and outside of
Atewa. Larger mammal species, such as the threatened
primates, and many bird species need large tracts of
forest for feeding and nesting. Threatened species have
a much higher chance of going extinct in smaller forest
patches that have no connection to additional habitat or
that lack a large enough elevation range to allow species
to adapt to changing conditions and human pressures.

1) Maintain Corridors along the length of the Atewa
Range to allow for species migrations and adaptations
to changes in habitat and human pressures. Keep the
northern part of the reserve as intact as possible to
maintain a large tract of forest and keep connections to
the southern parts of the reserve.

2) Reforest roads, trails and clearings that are no longer
in use to reduce habitat fragmentation and human
access to the forest and to discourage illegal logging,
hunting of large mammals, and agricultural production.
Trails and other access routes in all three areas should be
minimized and regulated and roads should be blocked
and reforested to prevent large-scale encroachment into
the reserve. The few roads and trails necessary to to
provide access for ecotourism and research should be
carefully maintained and patrolled to ensure the least
possible impact.

3) Link Atewa to other forest reserves and patches of
forest. Outside of Atewa, the Kwahu plateau forested
zone, about 15 km north from Atewa contains similar
upland habitat and is consequently a good candidate to
connect to Atewa. A feasibility study including assessment
of diversity in Kwahu and landscape description
should be carried out prior to such an action.

4) Promote and utilize biodiversity friendly land-use
practices in agricultural areas between forest reserves to
maximize biodiversity in the areas surrounding Atewa
and to provide a connection between Atewa and nearby
forest reserves. This could include minimizing the use
of pesticides and herbicides and other chemicals in
agriculture, promoting crop rotation and natural pest
control, and planting native tree species among crops to
harbor wildlife.

5) Prohibit logging in the core protected area on the
plateaus and upper slopes and strictly control logging in
the buffer zone on the lower slopes. Logging accelerates
habitat fragmentation and habitat degradation.

6) Monitor several key species or groups that depend
on intact forest to ensure healthy populations and to
detect changes as early as possible to prevent serious
declines. Target groups should include large and small
mammals, amphibians, and several insect groups. Since
small mammals are highly dependent on forest structure
for their survival and constitute a key component of the
diet of large animals, monitoring small mammal diversity
and abundance is a good way to track the integrity
of the forest ecosystem.

IV. Conduct in-depth studies focusing on threatened,
rare and endemic species, and during other seasons,
and expand basic species surveys to include additional
groups of organisms.

1) Conduct studies of the Critically Endangered Conraua
derooi in Atewa and other areas where it is known to
occur. While this species is historically known from a
number of sites, recent surveys have failed to record it
from some of its previously known localities. At other
sites, it is under sever pressure from habitat degradation
and consumption. Hence, Atewa could hold the last
remaining viable population of this Critically Endangered
species and we urgently recommend additional
surveys to determine if this is the case. Areas holding
95% of the remaining population of a Critically Endangered
species are eligible for consideration as Alliance
for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites, a designation which
would increase the significance of Atewa as a conservation
target and could potentially increase available funding
for conservation activities.

2) Survey during the dry season. This RAP survey was
conducted during the rainy season when the plants
Mapania bakdwinii and Leptapisi cochleata form a
carpet covering much of the forest floor making footprints,
dung and other signs of animals difficult to see.
Undertaking a similar survey during the dry season
and sampling additional areas towards the periphery of
the reserve would most likely increase the number of
mammal species directly or indirectly encountered, thus
adding to the confirmed species list for the reserve.

3) Conduct additional surveys for groups of organisms
not included in previous surveys, but having a high
probability of including rare and/or new species, such as
dung beetles, preying mantids, arachnids, or mollusks
(both freshwater and terrestrial)."

End of excerpt from the Executive Summary of the Conservation International RAP survey bulletin 47.

Well, there it is, dear reader. One can only hope that officialdom will ensure that Solar Mining's perfidy does not go unpunished. This part of the Atewa Range, like the official government reserve, is too vital a part of the area's eco-system, to be sacrificed on the alter of privileged private-greed of the most egregious kind, at the expense of the rest of society and the common good. Are those charged with preserving Ghana's natural heritage listening - and more importantly, will they pay heed? One certainly hopes they will - for the sake of this and future generations of Ghanaians. A word to the wise...

Tel (powered by Tigo - the one mobile phone network in Ghana that actually works! ): + 233 (0) 27 745 3109.