DANIDA on fact-finding mission on its funded projects

A six-man delegation from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) is in the Northern Region on a fact-finding mission on the utilisation of its grants to the Northern Savannah Resource Management Centre (NSRMC) in Tamale.

The Agency supported the Centre with a grant of 19.6 million Danish Kroner to develop and test models for sustainable production, marketing and efficient use of wood fuel in the Upper West Region, Upper East Region and Northern Region.

The delegation led by Mr Jean-Paul Laude, Technical Adviser to DANIDA, would assess the achievements of the Centre and its impact on the people and whether or not it should be sustained.

Mr. Laude, speaking during a courtesy call on Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Mr Issah Ketekewu at Tamale, asked beneficiary communities to engage in tree planting towards a sustainable wood fuel usage.

He appealed to individuals, traditional rulers and organisations to collaborate efforts at preventing bushfires.

Mr. Laude also said: "Let us be mindful of the impact of rapid population growth on resources and we should try to ensure their sustainable management to the benefit of both the present and future generations."

He asked district assemblies to give part of revenue accrued from charcoal taxes to landowners and to support them with credit so that they could re-plant trees towards a sustainable wood fuel production.

Mr. Ketekewu appealed to DANIDA to sustain its support for the people and to intensify its campaign against bushfires and other practices that degraded the environment.

Mr. George Ortsin, Project Co-ordinator of NSRMC, called on the people to support the activities of the Centre.