Improved Coastal Governance at the District and Coastal Settlement Scale

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2. Improved Coastal Governance at the District and Coastal Settlement Scale

The central aim of this component is to explore and test ways to strengthen the governance of shore areas and coastal resources at the District and coastal community level, working in a variety of geographic settings on a range of issues important in the Western Region. The work is organized into three focal areas in recognition that the ICFG cannot provide equal levels of assistance to all six coastal districts, and that it would be valuable to emphasize integrated planning for ecosystems or watershed sub-basins. The Shama District focal area features the flood plains of the Pra and Anankwari Rivers. The Cape Three Points focal area incorporates the Districts of Nzema East and Ahanta west, and features the Cape Three Points forest reserve and its unique shore and marine resources. The Amanzule focal area encompasses Jomoro and Ellembelle Districts and the large wetlands system which they jointly share. The approach in each focal area engages stakeholders and brings policy through a cycle that proceeds from issue identification, to analysis and plan formulation, culminates in formal adoption and proceeds on to implementation and review. The limited time frame of the Hen Mpoano project requires focusing on steps 1 through 3 of the policy cycle issue identification, plan preparation and adoption. Activities are aimed at identifying and addressing specific immediate issues facing shore areas and resource users of particular concern and selecting approaches that are applicable in all coastal districts. The major emphasis for ICM activities for landscape management as the three focal areas advance, will involve developing conservation management planning for the priority fisheries habitat areas mangroves and other wetlands, lagoons and river estuaries and “areas of concern” where detailed planning and management is most needed that addresses maintaining essential ecosystem services and functions as both land transformation and climate change evolve. These applications of ICM practices will also identify, at the scale of the three Districts, prime sites for tourism as well as areas most vulnerable to erosion and the impacts of climate change. Within the “areas of concern”, improvements in infrastructure in support of fisheries landing sites, cleaning and sorting catches, cold storage, ice and basic services sanitation, potable water, waste disposal are also required. Such community level planning and decision making complements and acts upon important features of fisheries reforms called for by the GOGWorld Bank project. The landscape planning and management activities carried out in Years 2 and 3 in the focal areas of Shama District, Cape 3 Points encompassing Ahanta West and Nzema East Districts, and the Amanzule Wetlands shared by Jomoro and Ellembelle Districts were aimed specifically at: • Building capacity and commitment for fresh approaches to coastal landscape issues at three focal sites through efforts that will be sustained through the remainder of the project. • Strengthening the capacity of district level planners and their respective Assemblies to address land use issues and steer the development process towards desired outcomes, taking advantage of the concerted efforts to strengthen spatial planning within the Western region and its coastal districts. • Engagement in cross-district coordination and learning through the semi-annual meetings of Component 1 see 1.1 and 1.2 In Year 4, the main emphasis will be on community-lead bottom up development of practical strategies to address the high level of poverty and vulnerability amongst fishers and coastal communities. This in turn is integrally linked to District level planning to sustain ecosystem services 24 and introduce effective land use planning and decision-making. In Year 4, H εn Mpoano will provide coastal Districts with information, tools and support to incorporate coastal management, sustainable landscape, hazard management and climate adaption policies and best practices into place. Fisheries activities conducted at the district level in Year 4 will emphasize tangible progress at the community level in four fishing communities accompanied by a strong effort to strengthen District and region-wide organizations that can increase the levels of engagement of fisheries-related stakeholders in projects as well as policy formulation and implementation.

2.1 Focal Area: Shama District