Assessment of global environment facility biodiversity projects at Gomoa Okyereko and Gomoa Adam in the Central Region of Ghana

Abstract

The biodiversity conservation projects that were implemented at Gomoa Okyereko and Gomoa Adam in Gomoa East and Gomoa West Districts in the Central Region were to conserve degraded forests in the two communities. The main problems had to do with using chemicals in hunting of wildlife, regular bush fires, pollution of water bodies, indiscriminate cutting of trees and frequent wind damages. This study therefore assessed the impact of the project intervention in the light of the problems and the objectives set before the implementation of projects and how they were able to solve or reduce the problems identified. Purposive sampling method was used to select the communities involved in the study. Proportionate allocation was done to each category of the target population to get the views of the people who were engaged in the various activities. Simple random sampling method was used to select the respondents. The allocated number to each stratum was subjected to the lottery technique until the required sample size was obtained. Data was analysed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 17 for frequencies and percentages. The results revealed that there was an extensive awareness creation in all the participating and nearby communities on environmental conservation and the ecological training centre which was built has been abandoned. It was recommended that, the Okyereko Co-operative Afforestation Society and the Global Habitat for Homeless with the help of the sampled communities should develop their own demonstration and teaching farms to teach farmers since the agro-forestry demonstration farm was never done.