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.
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.
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.