Restoring the Daka River with Ecosia

The project

Through our project in partnership with Ecosia (www.ecosia.org), we are working with people living along the Daka river to grow trees and restore the Daka river.

Since the project started in 2017, we have more than doubled the number of communities we are supporting. Now, we are working with 61 communities living along the river. Together we are growing trees that will provide nutritious food and incomes, and help restore the river as a reliable source of water, all year round.

Why is this project needed?

For many people in northern Ghana, the Daka river is a vital source of water for drinking, washing, cooking, and farming. But a rapid loss of trees and soil fertility, and the effects of the climate crisis, mean that the water level is low and the river dries out for months on end.

For local people, this makes growing enough food difficult. As a result, many people are living in poverty. But trees offer a solution. Through this project we are growing trees to restore the river and land, for now, and the future.

Women in northern Ghana walking in a line with tree saplings in buckets on their heads before planting them.

Our aims

Working with local people, we are growing millions of trees to provide food and incomes and restore the river and land.

The trees we plant mean stability and protection for the people living along the river. The roots stabilise the soil and prevent nutritious soil from being washed away in floods. They also help the land to stay fertile so that other crops can grow and provide communities with food.

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hectares of land will be restored
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trees will be grown
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farmers will be trained

A women, Makada, in a brightly coloured dress under a tree, photo credit Ecosia.

“I want the whole world to know how important trees are. These trees that we are planting along the river will also help us bring water back.” Makada, Yendi, Ghana

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hectares of land restored
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trees grown
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farmers trained

Our impact

Almost three years into this project, we have grown nearly 1.5 million trees along the Daka river. We've also supported 775 farmers with tools and training to help them restore and protect the land.

Some techniques they were taught include bushfire management, tree grafting and assisted natural regeneration — a method used to regenerate trees. With this technique, over 350,000 trees have been regenerated.