Ghana
Bandai Hills – Ghana
At-A-Glance
- Name: Ghana
- Region/Country: West Africa
- Active Since: 2021
- 2021 planting season: 380,000 trees
- Scale-up potential: 3 million trees
Impact Highlights
- Reverse a cycle of forest loss in favor of local community and biodiversity
- Create hundreds of jobs in the region for local communities
Why plant here?
In Ghana, there has been a long cycle of forest degradation in many different forest types. These are exposed to extensive removals of trees for hardwoods for illegal charcoal production and forest clearing for agriculture and livestock like cattle. The disappearance of these forests is also contributing to the drying up of the river. This means a critical loss of natural resources, crucial to the local community’s socio-economic development. Although those forests cannot come back without human help, the ground is still fertile enough to restore effectively. We want to mend the damage that has been done so far and reverse the system of degradation into thriving ecosystems full of varied biodiversity.
To start this initiative, Land Life has partnered with EcoPlanet Bamboo to restore an initial 500 hectares of EcoPlanet’s 11,145-hectare West African operation by planting a diverse mix of native species. This partnership will create significant environmental and climate benefits while providing up to 120 members from the local communities with employment opportunities during the first planting season to get the trees into the ground.
The impact
We are leasing part of the land managed by EcoPlanet Bamboo, a leading actor in the industrialization of bamboo as a viable and environmentally attractive alternative fiber for global pulp and paper markets. With EcoPlanet Bamboo as our partner, we can achieve landscape-scale regeneration of forest lands and reverse the cycle of degradation in Ghana. The carbon capture potential in Ghana is high and a significant part of the business model to work in North Bandai.
We will help local communities move from an economy based on illegal charcoal to more sustainable and commercially viable solutions while creating a more fertile and prosperous environment. As mentioned before, by creating hundreds of jobs, we hope to boost the economy in the region and make sure this project is fully supported and enjoyed by local communities.
