Disappearing Forests, Rivers and Ponds

Samson William Batang is a peasant farmer in the small community of Gare in the Upper East Region of Ghana. He believes his environment has radically changed in the course of the last 20 or more years. The Gare area and surrounding communities used to be covered by thick forests, with ample natural ponds and rivers. Most of the forests and ponds have disappeared, resulting in decreased soil fertility and lower food and fodder production Samson is married with three children. In total there are 16 people in his household, which is typical of most of the traditional households in the area. Samson and his family depend on farming, dry season gardening and animal rearing.

Intense Heat: Soil fertility levels have deteriorated over the years, thereby impacting negatively on crop yields. He says. "15 to 25 years ago, you could cultivate a small parcel of land and get enough food to feed the whole family throughout the year. Now, not even large parcels of land yield enough to feed a family. 20 to 30 years ago, harmattan [cold weather conditions] set in around November, which created perfect conditions for the fruiting of certain tree species. Now, intense heat waves occur almost throughout the year."

Pointing to a mahogany tree, Samson says: "This tree, a particularly thorny tree used in feeding animals, was very common around here and also provided a means of treating certain ailments. These days they have almost disappeared. The intense heat waves increase water evaporation and eventually dry up our water sources. The heat also reduces agricultural productivity as farmers easily become exhausted when working on their farms."

Problems Resulting From New Rainfall Patterns: The people of Gare are also experiencing unpredictable rains. "It is no longer possible to forecast when rainfall will start or end," says Samson. "The new rainfall patterns have led to increased numbers of insects in the soil and to the wilting of plants, which in turn results in poor germination. Because of poor growth, most farmers have to buy additional seeds to re-plant, which increases their costs of production."

In addition, there are times when excessive rainfall leads to flooding. In 2007, there was a severe drought for several months, followed by heavy rains, which continued for days. The result was massive damage to farmlands and houses, the drowning of animals and, in some cases, the loss of human life.

Tree Planting Improves Soil Fertility: In 2005, Samson and other farmers in his area received practical training in compost manure preparation, stone bund construction, tree planting and the establishment of tree nurseries. The training, provided by TRAX Ghana, was designed to check soil erosion, enhance moisture levels in the soil, increase soil fertility and promote micro-organism activities in the soil.

Samson is pleased with the improvements these techniques have had on his livelihood. He farms one-third of an acre of grain in front of his house. Before the training, he says, this land produced just one basin of grain at harvest. "The training showed me that the land had lost its fertility because of severe erosion and continuous cultivation. So I built a stone bund on the land and prepared compost manure for it, which I now apply every year. Now, I can harvest up to three basins of grain from the same land."

Read more about TRAX Ghana and Self Help Africa and their work.