{"id":1449,"date":"2017-07-10T17:31:30","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T17:31:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/texti.me\/atewa\/?page_id=1449"},"modified":"2020-03-07T10:56:55","modified_gmt":"2020-03-07T10:56:55","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.atewa.org\/index.php\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"Atewa Project"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Who we are” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]The Atewa Forest Reserve is a highly important \u2018water tower\u2019 for Ghana. It contains the headwaters of three river systems that are crucial sources for domestic, agricultural and industrial water on which millions of people in the Central, Eastern and notably the Greater Accra Region of Ghana depend. Two of these three river systems are part of the geographical focus area of the Ghana Netherlands WASH Program (GNWP).\u00a0 Read more about the Ghana Netherlands WASH Program (GNWP) here http:\/\/www.gnwp.nl\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The provision of clean and reliable water and a range of other ecological services provided by Atewa forest are threatened by illegal logging, illegal artisanal gold mining, land clearance for farming and illegal hunting. Another major threat is posed by incentives for large scale industrial bauxite mining in the reserve. The pursuit of large scale industrial mining can be considered as severely compromising the water provision function of the forest. Industrial mining poses \u00a0a long term risk for water security for all people living down- stream and \u00a0seriously undermines the sustainability of GNWP efforts in that respect.<\/p>\n

The lack of meaningful participation of local stakeholders in decision making and management of the Atewa Forest Reserve in combination with a lack of direct economic benefits from the reserve are the main drivers for local encroachment and illegal activities.<\/p>\n

On the national level it is a mix of<\/p>\n

(1) Conflicting policies compromising the protection of Atewa forest,<\/p>\n

(2) Weak policy implementation and compliance by various actors and<\/p>\n

(3) Political interests, from local to national level, in quick economic benefits deriving from logging and mining that put Atewa forest at risk.<\/p>\n

This project is with kind sponsorship of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Our Objectives” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Project Overall Goal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Achieve long term protection and sustainable management of Atewa Forest as a public good for securing livelihoods and water management, mitigating climate change impacts and conserving global biodiversity.<\/p>\n

Specific objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 \u00a0Improve the knowledge base, i.e. through economic valuation of ecosystem services, for informed decision making on the protection and management of the Atewa Forest and the watersheds it feeds.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 \u00a0Address the immediate threats to the integrity of the Atewa Forest Reserve and its consequences for the water basins it feeds, particularly by mining activities and illegal logging.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 \u00a0Strengthen the position and role of local communities in the decision making processes and management of Atewa Forest and its environs, and support direct livelihood improvement for communities.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 \u00a0Contribute to a supporting, enabling policy\u00a0 \u00a0environment and institutional capacity for transforming Atewa Forest Reserve into a National Park and propose sustainable finance mechanisms for the Park and its environs.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″]\n

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Save Atewa Forest Now<\/h3>Read the Petition<\/span><\/a>
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We strongly urge the Government to ban mining in Atiwa Forest Reserve, which is <\/p>\r\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

We strongly urge the Government to ban mining in Atewa Forest Reserve, which is the source of clean water for about 5 million Ghanaians. Mining will provide short-term income, but it will forever degrade or destroy ecosystem services, such as good freshwater for millions of people. We ask you to make Atewa a National Park and so benefit present and future generations.<\/p>\n

We ask the Government of Ghana to save Atewa forests now and in so doing Save Ghana\u2019s Future today!<\/p>\n\r\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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