The overall goal of this project to work together in collaboration with the local people to use Biochar to convert land that has been degraded by small-scale gold mining into arable land; to change soil structure by removing toxins and heavy metals from the soil, and plant trees to maintain vegetation and forest, restore destroyed coffee and cocoa farms with tree inter plant and boost local economy for 1000 people in Ghana.
Illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana with use of surface mining methods has destroyed over thousands of hectors of landscape with devastating long term effect on agriculture, environment, habitat and livelihood. It has destroyed arable land in the agro-ecological zones, adversely affected agriculture, and has become a food security threat in Ghana. The destroyed lands after the gold extraction has no alternative use, leaving the inhabitants in deplorable situations.
The objective of the intervention is to work with the local community to convert the degraded land into arable land, restore forests, coffee and Cocoa farms, improve the environment for human habitation and livelihood. The effects of the intervention will directly impact the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:SDG #2, SDG #3, SDG #6, SDG #8, SDG #15, SDG #17.
The reclaimed land with replant of trees, coffee and cocoa will improve the livelihood of the residents of the local communities. This will also reduce the massive migration of the youth to urban centres seeking for non-available economic prospects. Biochar when used to amend soil, improve soil fertility, remove toxins and heavy metals from polluted soil to deliver a 100% carbon sink that benefited both health and environment.
