Lower Ankobra River Basin Livelihoods Improvement and Biodiversity Conservation (LABLIBiC) Project

The geographical location of the project is the Lower Ankobra River Basin (LARB) which covers approximately 5 880 hectares of land and water areas of the southern downstream section of the Ankobra Basin. The LARB falls within the wet-evergreen high forest zone of Ghana and is a biologically diverse system comprising tropical/terrestrial forests, swamp forests, mangrove forests and the Ankobra river estuary. 26 species of medium to large mammals were recorded including the Geoffroy’s black and white colobus (Colobus vellerosus, VU), Roloway Monkey (Cercopithecus roloway, EN), and Red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus, LC).

Mangrove forests mostly comprising Avicennia germinans, Rhizophora mangle and the Laguncularia racemosa characterize this area and their conservation will therefore constitute an important component of this project. Riparian communities of the LARB depend heavily on the natural resources associated with the river basin and exploit them for their food and livelihood security. However, due to lack of governance structures for natural resources management and decision making, resources are exploited without regard for their long-term sustainability. In addition to pressures mounted by local population on natural resources of the LARB, activities of illegal miners are further stressing the environment by degrading forest, polluting the river and destroying fertile riparian soils.

Hen Mpoano works since 2013 to provide technical, policy and extension support to coastal communities, emerging civil society groups, traditional authorities, government institutions and the private sector through capacity building, research, networking and project development in fisheries and coastal ecosystems governance. Hen Mpoano is working with Wildlife Division of the Ghana Forestry Commission to promote wildlife conservation in the western region of Ghana. The general aim of this project is to reinforce the conservation of the Lower Ankobra River Basin (LARB) through improvement of community-based governance and management of natural resources and development of green livelihoods.