National and Regional LME Scales

3.2.2.1 Support for WERENGO Western Region NGOs The new Executive Committee of WERENGO was supported by CRC to plan the General Assembly meeting of the WERENGO Alliance held in May 2010. As the alliance has not been active for the past year, it is seen as essential to take the appropriate time to prepare the Assembly and to ensure adequate communication with members. CRC and CARE International played a catalytic role by injecting “new life” into WERENGO and making a firm commitment for co-sponsoring WERENGO’s institutional development. As part of this co-sponsorship and a planned series of capacity building trainings, CRC led the very first training, which was a two- day introductory skills session on proposal writing and fundraising for members of the network. CRC also helped to facilitate recruitment of a WERENGO Coordinator paid for by CARE whose principal mandate is to deepen networking and coordination among WERENGO members. 3.2.2.2 Small grants One of the Initiatives early actions was to establish a Small Grants program aimed at supporting non-governmental and other civil society organizations to implement projects consistent with the objectives of the H ɛn Mpoano Initiative. As the result of an invitation to civil society groups in the Western Region, the Initiative received 43 concept notes. Twenty three were short listed. Of these, 15 were selected to receive small grants totaling 94,430.10 Ghana Cedis US 64,124 to implement various projects that are slated for completion by December 2010. The small grants projects cover wetland conservation, alternative livelihoods, sanitation, environmental education and eco-tourism. Table 4 lists the grantees, their projects, and the districts where the activities are taking place. Meanwhile, CRC has developed a procedures and criteria manual for future grant making. igure 6: School children and teachers cleaning dirt from wetlands and replanting degraded mangrove areas as part of the small grant project. F 21 Table 4: List of Grantees, Projects and Activities by District ORGANIZATION PROJECT ACTIVITY DISTRICT SNV-Western Region Portfolio Training for stakeholders in Four West Coast Destination Management Areas DMA Eco-Tourism Ahanta-West, Nzema-East, Shama and STMA SNV-Western Region Portfolio Training Program for Community Tour Guides in The West Coast DMA Eco-Tourism Four Coastal Districts SNV-Western Region Portfolio Marketing of Tourism Products in Five Coastal Communities of the West DMA Eco-Tourism Butre, Busua, Dix- cove, Akwidae, and Princesstown all of Ahanta-West Ghana Instinct Cycling in Paradise-Eco-Biking Eco-Tourism Ahanta-West Crisis, Actions, Solutions CASOLS Towards Essei Lagoon Ecological Restoration and Conservation Wetland Conservation STMA Conservation Foundation Mangrove Restoration and Conservation Project Wetland Conservation Ahanta-West Esemaman Development Association Towards Conservation and Preservation of Coastal Resources Coastal Conservation Shama Rural Environmental Care Association Enhancing Local Participation in Wetlands Conservation and Management through Education Wetlands Conservation Ellembelle Nzimitianu Community Biodiversity Project Association Nzimitianu Wetlands Conservation Project Wetlands Conservation Jomoro Ghana Wildlife Society Domunli Conservation and Eco- Tourism Project Wetlands Conservation and Eco-Tourism Jomoro Anomasatu Training in Realistic Livelihood Schemes Diversified Livelihood STMA Master Care Ministries Rehabilitation of Stalls for Fishmongers in Shama Fisheries Livelihood Shama Organization for Livelihood Enhance- ment Services Household Nutrition through Local Poultry Production by Women in Rural Communities Food SecurityLivelihood Ahanta-West Foundation of Action and Development A Survey Of Sanitation in Ngyeresia Sekondi Research on Sanitation STMA Department of Parks and Gardens –Sekondi Developing Private-Public Partnerships for Upgrading and Restoration of Green Public Areas Private-Public Partnership STMA 3.2.2.3 Pilot wetlands conservation initiative Following up on the October 2009 announcement by the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly of plans to develop urban wetlands, FoN placed targeted articles in the national press and led radio talk-shows denouncing the plans and communicating the vital functions and services that wetlands provide the city, notably flood control and green spaces. FoN and CRC reported to the regional Environmental Protection Agency EPA when there were observations of illegal filling and development of urban wetlands. In response, the EPA stepped in and halted filling on several occasions. Subsequently, the Initiative organized a one-day educational workshop with district and regional government planners and land titling agencies on the importance of the wetlands. 22