In Ghana, wildfires are a growing problem during the dry season, causing significant forest cover loss and high carbon emissions. The cost of wildfires globally is estimated to be $50 billion per year and emits 6450 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
To tackle this issue, Ghana, EcoCare Ghana, and Tropenbos Ghana, with support from the European Union, have collaborated with the Ghana National Fire Service to train 180 community members in three districts to serve as first responders to fire prevention, monitoring, and control.
The fire volunteers were equipped with basic firefighting tools and inaugurated on January 25, 2023. The LEAN project, funded by the European Union’s flagship GCA+ initiative, aims to reduce emissions from land-use changes, conserve biodiversity, and help smallholder farmers improve their livelihoods.
The trained fire volunteers are selected from 15 communities in the Techiman Municipal and Offinso North and South Districts.
The project’s partners include Rainforest Alliance, World Vision Ghana, Tropenbos Ghana, and EcoCare Ghana.
Source: 3News
