The Landscape Management Board, a governance structure made up of all significant stakeholders in Akontombra, Bodi, Wiawso, and Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai, has been established by Rainforest Alliance under the Landscapes and Environmental Agility across the Nation (LEAN) Project.
The landscape management approach was first developed by Rainforest Alliance to help landscape level management in conservation projects.
It is therefore a community-led process that is designed to empower marginalized forest-based communities and allow them to better assess the value of protecting forest resources.
The approach is designed to serve as the main decision-making body in managing, monitoring, and controlling forest access in production areas as well as surrounding forest reserves.
With support from Rainforest Alliance, the landscape management platform works with stakeholders to coordinate, align, and reduce conflicts among their respective activities, policies, and investments all in the name of protecting landscapes and the remaining forests across Ghana.
All activities of the project are hinged on the LMB and it’s the vehicle upon which the project is being implemented.
The Rainforest Alliance launched the LEAN Project at the Sui landscape, a project working to address some major barriers in three priority landscapes in Ghana – the High Forest Zone, Transition and Savannah landscapes.
The Landscapes and Environmental Agility across the Nation (LEAN) Project is a four-year project ending in 2024 and funded by the European Union.
The Project aims to directly support national efforts to conserve biodiversity, improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, build climate resilience, and reduce emissions from land-use changes across the various zones
In the high forest zone where the Rainforest Alliance is implementing the project, there are 3 LMBs formed and operational within the western North region of Ghana.
The Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai (BAB) LMB consisting of 30 communities, the Sefwi Wiawso LMB consisting of 41 communities and the Akontombra/Bodi LMB consisting of 35 communities.
The LMB therefore gets the opportunity to be part of decision-making on the project and they have the platform to engage government stakeholders and private partners.
The board is also consulted in any government decisions that bothers on natural resources within the corridors of the landscape.