Last updated: November 2021
The revitalization and conservation of the Butuah Wetlands work started in 2020 by a Ghanian NGO, called Friends of the Nations, in collaboration with some public institutions and an American charitable foundation that makes small grants to grassroots environmental causes around the world. In the past, the wetland has been a major flood reservoir that channelled excess water from different parts of the metropolis into the sea as well as a beacon of biodiversity. The weak monitoring regime of this wetland has led to massive encroachments by both private and industrial developers, therefore, causing biodiversity depletion and contributing negatively to climate change. (1)
View of the wetland prior to NBS
https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Sekondi-Takoradi-Metropolitan-Assembly-develops-wetland-672565
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change mitigation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Improvements to water quality
- Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
- Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Focus
Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Coastal landscape management or protection
Project objectives
Located in the New Takoradi part of the city, in the past the Butuah wetlands were very rich in biodiversity with respect to its fisheries, shrubs, and herbs species. Over time, due to heavy siltation, its aquatic life has been affected with phytoplankton and zooplankton communities experiencing low levels relative to its biodiversity. Additionally, the past development of industrial oil tank farms had already affected the biological setting of the wetland environment. Based on the above, the goals of the intervention include:
1. Cleaning and dredging of solid and liquid waste (petroleum tank farms and household waste) the mouth of the wetland to provide fresh water and improve the aquatic flora and fauna;
2. Stop human encroachment through legislation and therefore reduce water pollution (oil spillage);
3. Increase and conserve the fisheries population - 70% of Ghana's fish use wetlands as nurseries;
4. Raise awareness of climate change and environmental behaviour with the local population;
5. Prevent flooding (1,2,3);
4. Raise the environmental resilience of the nearby city by restoring the wetland that has carbon sequestration potential (4).
Implementation activities
In March 2020 Friends of the Nation (FoN) NGO organised a stakeholder meeting to advocate the revitalisation of the Butuah Wetlands at Adiembra a suburb in Sekondi. Representatives of the local municipality and the Environmental Protection Agency were present. Shortly the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) cleaned the area from household waste. (3)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Public sector institution
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The NBS is an intervention initiated by the Friends of the Nation NGO with support from the Global Greengrants Fund, USA and in collaboration with relevant State Agencies such as The Ghana Tourism Authority, Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Wild Life Division of the Forestry Commission, Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority and the surrounding fringe communities. FoN developed the plan of the restoration alongside the other stakeholders however some of the implementation activities were carried on by the local municipality and some local community clubs. (1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) issued a ban on fishing in the wetland in 2011. STMA's Term Development Plan (2014-2017) also mentions the enforcement of by-laws to protect wetlands and mangroves and promotes a close collaboration in educational awareness between FoN and STMA. (5,6))
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved waste management
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. FoN (2020), Revitalization and Conservation of the Butuah Wetlands Initiative, available at Source link (accessed 13.09.2021)
2. Ghana News Agency (2020), Friends of the Nation erects billboard to protect Butuah Wetlands, available at Source link (accessed 13.09.2021)
3. Ghana News Agency (2020), Stakeholders call for resuscitation of Butuah wetlands, available at Source link (accessed 13.09.2021)
4. FoN (2020), Media Engagement on Revitalization of Butuah Wetland, available at Source link, (accessed 13.09.2021)
5. Resource Centre Network Ghana (2021), FoN supporting STMA to enact byelaws to protect wetlands, available at Source link, (accessed 13.09.2021)
6. STMA (2014), Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly - Final Draft Medium –Term Development Plan (2014-2017), available at Source link, (accessed 13.09.2021)
2. Ghana News Agency (2020), Friends of the Nation erects billboard to protect Butuah Wetlands, available at Source link (accessed 13.09.2021)
3. Ghana News Agency (2020), Stakeholders call for resuscitation of Butuah wetlands, available at Source link (accessed 13.09.2021)
4. FoN (2020), Media Engagement on Revitalization of Butuah Wetland, available at Source link, (accessed 13.09.2021)
5. Resource Centre Network Ghana (2021), FoN supporting STMA to enact byelaws to protect wetlands, available at Source link, (accessed 13.09.2021)
6. STMA (2014), Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly - Final Draft Medium –Term Development Plan (2014-2017), available at Source link, (accessed 13.09.2021)
https://fonghana.org/butuah-wetlands/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.