Accra: World Vision Ghana, a non-profit Christian organization, has urged the government to incorporate Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) into national land and forest restoration strategies for enhanced effectiveness. The organization highlighted FMNR as a cost-efficient and effective method, boasting a significantly higher survival rate compared to conventional tree-planting initiatives.
According to Ghana News Agency, FMNR is a straightforward and low-cost technique used to increase tree cover on farmlands by nurturing existing trees and shrubs rather than planting new ones. This method involves protecting and managing existing vegetation through pruning and safeguarding against bushfires, facilitating natural regeneration.
Mr. Samuel Abasiba, the FMNR Project Manager at World Vision Ghana, emphasized the call during an exchange visit by lead farmers and fire volunteers from the Paga and Chiana Area Councils in the Kassena-Nankana West District to Yameriga, a community in the Talensi District where World Vision Ghana has successfully restored degraded land.
The FMNR initiative in Yameriga, which started in 2009, has restored approximately 250 hectares of degraded land across four fields. The site has become a learning hub, drawing visitors, development partners, and restoration practitioners from within and outside Ghana. In a bid to expand the initiative, World Vision Ghana, with support from World Vision Germany, has introduced FMNR to 10 communities in the Chiana and Paga Area Councils to restore at least 100 hectares of degraded land in each community.
During the peer-learning visit, Mr. Abasiba pointed out that the FMNR approach transformed degraded lands into lush forests without new tree planting. He emphasized the cost-effectiveness of FMNR, particularly in the Upper East Region, where harsh weather conditions challenge traditional tree planting. The survival rate of FMNR is almost 100% as it involves nurturing existing trees and shrubs.
Mr. Abasiba compared FMNR to conventional tree-planting campaigns, which often fail due to drought, grazing animals, and the high costs of seedling maintenance. He expressed concern over the lack of FMNR integration into district and national restoration programs, despite engagements with local authorities and development agencies. Workshops and field visits had been organized to demonstrate the Yameriga model's success, but formal requests for training or integration of FMNR into restoration activities remain pending.
Mr. Abasiba partly attributed this to inadequate advocacy and called for more attention to evidence-based restoration methods that offer sustainable results at lower costs. Mr. Samuel Bantang, a pioneer of the FMNR initiative in Yameriga, highlighted the community's role in transforming barren lands into thriving ecosystems by enforcing local rules against tree felling and bush burning.
Mr. Lambert Kuboga Kuzigiyem, the Assembly Member for the Abimnia, Derenia, and Wekogasong Electoral Area, acknowledged the project's role in enhancing community awareness about environmental protection and sustainable land management. Ms. Abigail Tiguridani, a lead farmer from Derenia, expressed optimism that their communities could replicate Yameriga's success through dedicated tree protection and regeneration efforts.