The European Union (EU) funded Landscape and Environmental Agility Across the Nation (LEAN) Project in collaboration with Rainforest Alliance has supported 106 communities in four districts of the Western North Region to plant trees at degraded areas. The initiative aimed to conserve biodiversity, build climate change resilience and reduce emissions from land use in the savannah, high-forest and transition zones of Ghana, while helping local farmers to improve their livelihoods. Mr Emmanuel Bawuah Antwi, Senior Associate at Rainforest Alliance, explained to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the project had been initiated to plant trees in degraded areas within the Bibiani -Anhwiaso -Bekwai Municipal, Wiawso, Bodi and Akontombra districts. He said the objectives of the LEAN project were to enhance capacity and commitment to reduce land degradation, increase productivity, prevent forest loss, promote natural resources and build climate change resilience using the integrated landscape management approach (ILM) . The Senior Associate said about 150,000 indigenous trees and fruits seedlings for restoration activities in degraded off-farm areas had been experimented in some cocoa growing areas. Mr Antwi said the LEAN project had been supporting the Green Ghana project through the Rainforest Alliance, and others to plant trees on a degraded off-farm area near Asawinso. Madam Dorcas Amoah, Vice Chairperson, Sefwi-Wiawso Landscape Management Board (LMB), in an interview with the GNA lauded the EU/LEAN project for the initiative and said it would help restore degraded forest reserves. She expressed worry over the increasing climate irregularities and encouraged the citizenry to contribute and commit to the Green Ghana project introduced by the government through the Forestry commission. Source: Ghana News Agency