Ghana - Coastal Wetlands Management Project

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY 10690- Gt+ Republic of Ghana Coastal Wetlands Management Project Project Document August 1992 THE WORLD BANK  GEF Documentation The Global Environment Facility (GEF) assists developing countries to protect the global environment in four areas: global warming, pollution of international waters, destruction of biodiversity, and depletion of the ozone layer. The GEF is jointly implemented bythe United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme. and the World Bank. GEF Project Documents - identified by a green band - provide extended project- specific information. The implementing agency responsible for each project is identified by its logo on the cover of the document. Global Environment Coordination Division Environment Department World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 Telephorre: (202) 473-1816 Fax: (202) 522-3256  Republic of Ghana Coastal Wetlands Management Project Project Document August 1992 THE WORLD BANK   CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency Unit = Cedi (C) US$1.00 = C395 C1,000 = US$2.54 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 1 metric ton (m ton) = 2,205 pounds (lb) 1 hectare (ha) = 2.47 acres (ac) 1 kilometer (cm) = 0.62 miles (mi) 1 meter (m) = 3.28 feet (ft) ABBREVIATIONS DGW Department of Game and Wildlife EAP Environmental Action Plan EPC Environmental Protection Council EPCITS Technical Secretariat of the Environmental Protection Council GEF Global Environnent Facility GET Global Environment Trust Fund GERMP Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature NGO Non-Governmental Organization PNDC Provisional National Defense Council WCG Wildlife Clubs of Ghana GOVERNMENT FISCAL YEAR January 1 - December 31  REPUBLIC OF GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Grant and Project Summary Grantee:lThe Republic of Ghana Beneficiary: Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Grant Amount: SDR 5.0 million (US$7.2 million equivalent) Terms: Grant from Global Environment Trust Financing Plan: Foreign Local Total .............. .(US$ millions). GET 3.1 4.1 7.2 Government of Ghana 0.1 1.0 1.1 Total 1/ 3.2 5.1 8.3 Economic Rate of Return: Not applicable Staff Apraisal Rert: No. 10691-GH Mm: IBRD No. 23746 Includes Duties and Taxes of US$0.5 million.  REPUBLIC OF GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Backg=und 1. A growing concern for environmental issues led the Government of Ghana to initiate the preparation of a National Environmental Policy Statement and a National Environmental Action Plan (EAP). In formulating the Plan, the Environmental Protection Council (EPC), a Government agency established in 1974, secured the active collaboration of a wide range of individuals and institutions in Ghana and among the donor community, including the World Bank. In the process, EPC generated widespread awareness of the importance of the issues involved and a consensus about the need for effective action. The EAP has been completed and has been approved by the Committee of PNDC Secretaries. The major environmental problems identified in the EAP include soil degradation and soil erosion, deforestation and forest degradation, and degradation of the natural and built environrnent within the coastal zone. The strategy for addressing these environmental problems is based on implementation of programs by sectoral agencies, whilst EPC has the lead responsibility for environmental policy formulation, monitoring and coordination. The development of mechanisms for effective coordination and the relationships between EPC and the sectoral agencies are critical for successful implementation of the EAP. There are designated institutional responsibilities for the management of environmental resources, and long established procedures for the demarcation and gazetting of protected areas in Ghana. More detailed background information is contained in Part II of this Memorandum. 2. The Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project, which includes the Coastal Wetlands Management Project, is designed to assist Government with the implementation of the EAP. As GERMP provides the framework for the management of the coastal wetlands, the objectives of the wider project are discussed first. 3. The Ghana Environmental Resource Management project would aim to strengthen the capacity of both government and people to manage environmental resources. The project would, therefore, focus on improving resource management capability through reorganizing and strengthening the institutions involved in environmental resource management, in particular the Environmental Protection Council and its Technical Secretariat (EPC/TS). The project would aim to support the TS to fulfill its role in environmental management, that is, the coordination of action to ensure that development is consistent with the sustainable use of environmental resources, the monitoring of the environment and the creation of public awareness of environmental issues. In parallel, the project would aim to develop environmental management skills in sectoral and local government agencies through staff training. Development of the management system would be supported through the provision of an improved enviromnental information system, based on a demand driven approach, and the creation of links between suppliers and users of information. The objective would be to provide a better understanding of environmental relationships, and early detection of environmental pollution or degradation. Dissemination of environmental information would be one other important objective of the project, within public sector agencies at national and district levels and the public at large by means of public information and awareness campaigns. Other project objectives are to assist the users of environmental resources to  invest in the maintenance of environmental assets through adoption of improved practices for the sustainable use of those resources. In particular the project would support the introduction of improved land management practices through community involvement in the planning and implementation of measures to minimize land degradation. Specific attention would be paid to the fragile coastal wetland ecosystems and it is these activities that would constitute the Coastal Wetlands Management Project to be financed by GEF. Project Objectives 4. The main objective of the project would be to maintain the ecological integrity of key coastal wetland areas, by involving the people who derive their livelihood from these ecosystems in the planning and implementation of management programs. The objective would be to identify and monitor the common resources that benefit human and avian populations, and manage them to maintain critical bird habitat, without unduly restricting the options of people to derive benefit from the resources. The project would aim to develop capabilities at both government and community level for the implementation of the proposed program, to provide for baseline and monitoring studies, and to undertake studies of options for development, that would be compatible with sustainable use of the environment. Project Description 5. The project is classed as a GEF Type 2 project, that is, although only concessional assistance from GET would make the project attractive in a country context, the project would result in substantial global benefits. The GET contribution of US$7.2 million would represent about 20 percent of the total costs of the wider Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project, of which it forms an integral part. 6. GEF funding would provide for the management of five coastal wetland sites that have been registered under the Ramsar Convention, to which Ghana is a signatory. The five sites are the Muni, Densu Delta, Sakumo, Songor and Anlo-Keta lagoons. Project funding would be targeted at three groups of activities: (i) Program Management - Support would be provided to the Department of Game and Wildlife (DGW) of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for management of the coastal wetlands program. This would include the appointment of a coastal wetlands coordinator, an education officer and site wardens, together with necessary training, field equipment and transport. Funds would also be available for base-line surveys and regular monitoring of ecological and socio-economic conditions in the coastal wetlands, including the status of lagoonal fisheries. This monitoring would be undertaken through local consultancies, using the specialist skills available in the universities and elsewhere, and would be closely linked to the regular monitoring of environmental quality, supported under GERMP. Studies of the environmental implications of various development options in the Volta Basin, including the wetlands below the Akosombo dam, would be financed under GERMP and linked with studies to develop a national wetland conservation strategy. The project would support public awareness programs through provision of training in environmental education to staff of DGW and of the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana (WCG), an NGO. The project would also finance production and dissemination of education materials, sponsor workshops and underwrite extension activities to be organized by WCG. (ii) Site Demarcation and Management - Finance would be available for boundary surveys and demarcation. The project would also finance the construction of observation points, an education and research center at Songor, simple on-site education centers at other  - 3 - sites, habitat enhancement and community development activities. The wetlands program would be linked to community based land and water management, supported under GERMP, through the promotion of measures to reduce erosion and improve vegetative cover in the immediate catchments of the wetland sites. The project would also provide for an investment support fund to finance developments in the wetlands that are compatible with maintaining the ecology of the wetlands. (iii) Sakumo Effluent Disposal - The Sakumo Lagoon poses special problems. It lies on the western margin of Tema, and present plans for a new sewage treatment plant involve the discharge of treated effluent into the lagoon. The natural outlet of the lagoon is severely restricted by a road and railway embankment. The project would provide funds for the construction of a pipe and marine outfall that would discharge the treated effluent into the sea. This would minimize the risk of nutrient build-up and consequent eutrophication in the lagoon, but there would be no adverse effects in the surf zone due to rapid dilution. The project would also finance a study of the hydrology of the lagoon and possible effects of dredging and of modifying the existing sluice and culvert through the railway and road embankment to restore natural tidal flow and improve habitat and water quality. Project Implementation 7. The Department of Game and Wildlife, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources would be responsible for the implementation of this project. A Wetlands Program Coordinator would be appointed with specific responsibility for the program. Implementation arrangements would be fully integrated with those agreed for GERMP, in which the lead agency would be the Technical Secretariat of EPC (EPC/TS). Procurement and disbursement of project funds would, therefore, be undertaken through EPC/TS and a Coastal Wetlands Project Operations Committee would be responsible for inter-agency cooperation. Communities would be closely involved in decisions affecting the management of wetland areas through local site committees established to advise the Wetlands Program Coordinator and the Project Operations Committee. The Wildlife Clubs of Ghana would play an important role in public awareness programs, working with community education officers to develop programs for the local education centers at each site. Project Sustainability 8. Government has demonstrated a sustained commitment to conservation by including over 5 percent of the national territory within the system of protected areas. Continuing commitment is demonstrated by an action plan to improve management of current protected areas as part of the World Bank financed Forest Resource Management Project. The EAP includes a Coastal Zone Management Plan that demonstrates Ghana's commitment to land use and development planning to maintain the ecological integrity of the coastal region. Project funded studies and investments would increase sustainable economic benefits from developments that are compatible with preserving the ecology of the wetlands. Lessons from Previous Bank Group Involvement 9. Although there has been no Bank Group lending in Ghana specifically for environmental operations, much of previous IDA lending for sectoral projects has had a direct impact on the environment, through its effect on agriculture, forestry, mining and industry, and urban development. Experience with these lending operations shows the need: to work  - 4 - within an agreed national policy, with clearly identified priorities, in a stable macro-economic environment; to involve communities in the planning and implementation of sustainable resource use; to provide an institutional focus for the management of environmentally related matters with agreed procedures for effective coordination; to improve environmental management skills at district as well as central levels; and to provide training and support to implementing agencies for procurement and disbursement. This experience is consistent with conclusions drawn from world-wide experience. 2/ Rationale for GEF Involvement 10. The rationale for the use of GET funds to sustain and enhance the ecology of coastal wetlands in Ghana is detailed in the Project Selection Criteria Reference Sheet presented in Appendix 1, Part II of this Memorandum. It could be considered purely from the global point of view, but there are, in addition, important national and local justifications. At the global level the primary importance of these coastal lagoons and estuaries concerns their international significance as habitat for migratory waterbirds. The East Atlantic Flyway, defined by the regular annual transit paths of several million birds shows vividly the biotic interconnection between Africa, North America and Eurasia. The long term viability of the bird populations that connect these diverse landscapes is inextricably linked to the ecosystems in which they find regular sanctuary along their seasonal migration routes. The significance of the Ghana coastal wetlands is illustrated by the fact that they regularly harbor more than one percent of the estimated Atlantic Flyway populations of at least nine species of long distance migrants. They form a network of resting and feeding grounds for more than seventy species of migratory and resident waterbirds and represent the fourth largest concentration of migratory waders and shorebirds along the West African coast. The five principal wetland areas, the Muni, Densu Delta, Sakumo, Songor and Anlo/Keta lagoons, provide sanctuary for over 80 percent of the migratory waterbirds stopping in Ghana. All meet criteria as sites of international importance under the Ramsar Convention but there are no existing arrangements for formal management or protection. The current global registry of Ramsar sites lists no protected wetlands along the entire coast of the Gulf of Guinea - a prominent gap in the existing regional network of conservation areas. The management of these wetlands is, therefore, a high priority for migratory bird conservation on both a regional and global scale. Further, the sites identified under this project include the only presently known nesting sites in Ghana for three species of sea turtles listed as globally threatened by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). 11. A notable gap in the Ghana protected area system, identified in the EAP, is the absence of units that represent coastal wetland ecosystems. Consequently, from a national perspective of sustaining the widest representation of natural biodiversity at the level of ecosystems or natural communities, coastal wetlands have a high priority. At the local level, the Sakumo lagoon and Densu Delta wetlands provide the most accessible sites for outdoor recreation and interaction with the natural environment available to residents of the largest urban district in Ghana in addition to their documented global importance for biodiversity conservation. The majority of people living around the other three lagoons, at Muni, Songor and Anlo/Keta, derive a major part of their livelihood from the lagoons themselves through fishing and/or salt winning, or from industries such as inshore marine fisheries. These 2/ The World Bank and the Enviromment. A Progress Report. Fiscal 1991.  depend, at least in part, on the ecological health of the adjacent wetlands, for example, as fish spawning grounds or sources of nutrient input into inshore coastal waters. Both the present way of life and the long term economic prospects of the human populations living near the lagoons and estuaries depend on the ecological health and stability of these wetland ecosystems. The project thus provides an opportunity to support the management of critical conservation sites for an internationally shared resource, whilst encouraging development that is compatible with long term maintenance of the ecological stability of the sites. Agreed Actions 12. During project negotiations it was agreed that GEF support for the Coastal Wetlands Management Project would be considered as an integral part of GERMP. The following agreements are specifically related to the Coastal Wetlands Project: Condition of Effectiveness (a) The IDA Development Credit Agreement would be effective. Condition of Disbursement (a) The use of the Investment Support Fund would be subject to IDA approval. Other Agreements (a) Formal boundary descriptions of the five coastal wetland sites would be completed by June 1, 1993, and the legal instrument designating the boundaries of the Ramsar sites would be prepared, reviewed by IDA, and approved by December 31, 1993. (b) Annual work programs for the Coastal Wetlands component would be prepared by the Department of Game and Wildlife and approved by the Project Operations Committee by June of each year, with subsequent review by IDA. (c) The results of annual monitoring of ecological and socio-economic conditions in the coastal wetlands would be reviewed by the Project Operations Committee in April of each year, with subsequent review by IDA, starting in 1994. (d) The detailed design and management of the education and research center at Songor would be agreed by June 1995. Environmental Aspects 13. The primary objective of the project is to improve the management of environmental resources in the coastal wetlands in Ghana, and to introduce programs for the sustainable use of those resources. The project would, therefore, have beneficial effects on the environment. A specific assessment of the environmental impact of discharging treated effluent into Sakumo lagoon and alternatively, through an outlet in the surf zone has been made. Details presented  -6 - in Part II, Appendix 3 show that discharge into the lagoon would result in rapid nutrient build-up with consequent eutrophication, whilst discharge in the surf zone would have little effect due to rapid dilution in the open sea. Benefits 14. The principal benefits of the project would be the maintenance of the ecology of five coastal wetland sites that are of international importance as habitat for migratory waterbirds. The project would improve the management and monitoring of the ecological resources by both government and the people. It would help to identify options for development that would improve the livelihood of local communities, but that would be compatible with sustainable use of the environment. The project would also result in an increased public awareness of environmental matters through both formal education programs at project financed centers, and through informal channels, such as wildlife clubs. Economic rate of return calculations for the project are difficult to interpret and may not be meaningful, as many of the costs and benefits cannot be quantified and the assumptions depend on whether the analysis is based on a national or global accounting stance. Consequently, the results of economic rate of return calculations are not presented. Rsks 15. There is a risk that the objectives of recognizing the five coastal wetland sites under the Ramsar Convention would not be achieved. However, the risk would be minimized because project funds would be available for site management, public awareness campaigns and the participation of local communities in maintaining the ecology of the sites. Attachments  -7 - Schedule A GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Estimated Costs and Financing Plan ESTIMATED COSTS Component Foreign LocalTotal ."',"",","(US$ million). Program Management 0.6 1.6 2.2 Site Demarcation and Management 1.4 2.2 3.6 Investment Support 0.4 0.1 0.5 Sakumo Effluent Disposal 0.2 0.2 0.4 Total Base Cost 2.6 4.1 6.7 Physical Contingencies 0.2 0.3 0.5 Price Contingencies 0.4 0.7 1.1 TOTAL PROJECT COST 1/ 3.2 5.1 8.3 FINANCING PLAN Foreign Local Total ................ US$ million). GET 3.1 4.1 7.2 Government of Ghana 0.1 1.0 1.1 Total 1/ 3.2 5.1 8.3 1/ Includes US$0.5 million duties and taxes.  -8 - Schedule B Page 1 of 2 GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT PROCUREMENT METHOD AND DISBURSEMENT A. Amounts and Methods of Procurement Procurement Category ICB LCB Others ............ .(US$ millions). Civil Works Total 0.5 2.5 - 3.0 GET 0.4 2.2 - 2.6 Vehicles Total 0.3 - 0.2 0.5 GET 0.3 - 0.1 0.4 Equipment and Materials Total 0.7 0.2 0.3 1.2 GET 0.7 0.2 0.2 1.1 Technical Assistance Total - - 1.1 1.1 GET - - 1.1 1.1 Training and Public Awareness Total - - 0.4 0.4 GET - - 0.4 0.4 Investment Support and Land Management Fund Total - - 0.6 0.6 GET - - 0.5 0.5 Incremental Recurrent Costs Total - - 1.5 1.5 GET - - 1.1 1.1 TOTALS 1.5 2.7 4.1 8.3 GET 1.4 2.4 3.4 7.2  -9 - Schedule B Page 2 of 2 GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT B. Summary Disbursement Schedule Category Amount 9rfltedFinanced ... (US$ millions)... Foreign Lo Civil Works 2.4 100 70 Vehicles, Equipment and Materials 1.3 100 90 Technical Assistance 1.0 100 100 Training 0.3 100 100 Investment Support Fund 0.4 100 100 Incremental Recurrent Costs 0.9 70% to December 1995, 50% thereafter Unallocated 0.9 TOTAL 7.2  - 10- Schedule C Page 1 of 2 GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Timetable of Key Processing Events Time Taken to Prepare: 20 months Project Prepared by: Government of Ghana with IDA assistance a/ First IDA Mission: June 1991 Appraisal Mission March 1992 Negotiations: August 1992 Planned Date of Effectiveness: January 1993 List of Relevant PPARS and PCRs: None Summary Supervison Plan 1. Supervision of the project would be integrated with the wider GERMP. The schedule of supervision missions presented below includes three visits during the first year of the project, to provide close supervision and assistance during the critical start-up period. In subsequent years, one visit by a supervision mission would coincide with the review of the annual plan for the following year's program in the third quarter of the calendar year. The supervision plan also provides for one additional visit in the second quarter of the second, fourth and fifth project years. In the third project year, this visit would coincide with the project mid-term review. CY 1993 1993 1994 199i 1299 Quarter 1234 1234 1234 1234 1234 Supervision * ** * * * * * * * * Mid-term review * 2/ This project is based on the findings of an appraisal mission that visited Ghana in March, 1992, comprising I. Hill (Mission Leader); Ms. C. Cook (Sociologist); C. Sow (Economist); and K. Creighton (Consultant Ecologist).  - 11 - Schedule C Page 2 of 2 Key Indicators 2. The key indicators to assess the progress of the project can be considered in a number of groups. The Technical Secretariat of the EPC would be responsible for collating the following data. 3. Policy and Legislation. The Environmnental Action Plan indicates the need for the revision and adoption of a number of policies and legislative measures. Progress towards the adoption of those that relate specifically to project supported activities would be monitored. They include policy and legislation related to: - Land Management; - Fisheries and Coastal Zone Management. 4. Coastal Wetlands Management - Completion of base line studies; - Progress with management programs; - Progress with monitoring studies and impact of management programs on the ecology of the wetland sites. 5. Physical Physical achievement of civil works or procurement of project finance items as presented in the implementation schedule and detailed cost tables. 6. Financial Budget by: - Investment; - Personnel; - Operational expenses; - Program budgets. 7. Reporting Timeliness of six-monthly reports. Publication of results in bulletins or annual reports of participating agencies. Skills Required for Supervision Missions 8. In addition to the Task Manager responsible for supervising compliance with Bank procedures, supervision missions would need to include personnel with skills in: - Management Systems; - Environmental Quality Monitoring; - Rural Sociology; - Wetlands Ecology.   REPUBLIC OF GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT PART II: APPENDICES   REPUBLIC OF GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Table of Contents APPENDIX 1. GEF Project Selection Criteria Reference Sheet APPENDIX 2. Coastal Wetlands Management APPENDIX 3. Sakumo Lagoon. Effluent Disposal and Hydrological Studies   - 1 - GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT APPENDIX I GEF Project Selection Criteria Reference Sheet  - 2- GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT GEF Project Selection Criteria Reference Sheet Country Elifibility Per Capita Income - US$390 (1989) Environmental Action Plans The Government of Ghana has recently completed the preparation of a National Environmental Policy Statement and a National Environment Action Plan. In March, 198, responsibility for their formulation was given to the Environmental Protection Council (EPC). EPC secured the active collaboration of a wide range of individuals and institutions in Ghana and amongst the donor community, including the World Bank. The process adopted by EPC in preparing these national policy documents has generated widespread awareness of the importance of the issues involved and a consensus about the need for effective action. F'roiect Tp Type 2. Without GEF support Government would not undertake the systematic inventory and management of coastal wetlands envisaged under the project. Global Environmental Benefit The five coastal lagoons, estuaries and adjacent seashores addressed by this project provide regular sanctuary for upward of 100,000 migratory shorebirds annually. Together they harbor nearly 5% of the shorebirds and waders using the East Atlantic Flyway and on a regional scale rank fourth in peak populations of migratory waterfowl. No Ramsar Sites have yet been declared on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The wetlands included in this project provide habitat for internationally significant populations of eleven species of migratory shorebirds and include nesting sites for three threatened species of marine turtles. Form of Innovation The project will include financing for a study of compatible development options for the communities living adjacent to the lagoons and financing for adaptation and implementation of technologies identified as promising sustainable development options. These may include aquaculture, agro-forestry and improved fisheries  - 3 - management as well as expansion of the indigenous salt-winning industry adjacent to the lagoons. Pending the outcome of engineering studies, the project may include financing of civil works to mitigate the effects of urban/domestic waste pollution on the two urban lagoons. Management of the Ramsar Sites will be done jointly with responsibility for core zones or sanctuaries under the Department of Game and Wildlife and of the adjacent zones under Site Committees within the Ministry of Local Government involving participation of local people and traditional leaders. Demonstration Value and Replicability The goal of the multiple-use management regime proposed for the coastal wetlands is to maintain the ecological balance of these aquatic/terrestrial ecosystems by encouraging development of industries such as fishing, agro-forestry, aquaculture, tourism and salt production that provide options for economic growth to local communities that are compatible with sustaining habitat for the migratory birds which also depend on these areas. In declaring these areas as Ramsar Sites, the Government of Ghana is foregoing certain development options for these sites but, in return receives technical and financial assistance to implement sustainable development activities that are compatible with maintaining bio-diversity of the coastal zone. The model of working with local communities to identify common resource requirements (e.g., water quality, erosion control) for conservation and community development needs, and focusing investment on those common needs is one which may have broader application for conservation outside of traditional protected areas. Contribution to the GEF Portrolio The areas to be addressed by this project qualify as Wetlands of International Importance under criteria established by the Ramsar Convention. They are among the most significant sites in West Africa as habitat for migratory waterfowl. The project represents an opportunity to afford protection to critical conservation sites for an internationally shared resource while encouraging development that is compatible with long-term maintenance of the ecological stability of the ecosystems in which the conservation sites occur. Sustainability The GOG has demonstrated a sustained commitment to conservation in including over 5% of the national territory within the system of protected areas and consistently providing substantial human and material resources for supervision and management of protected areas. Continuing commitment is evinced by an action plan to improve management of current protected areas financed by the World Bank through the Forest Resource Management Project. The NEAP includes a Coastal Zone Management Plan that demonstrates Ghana's commitment to land use and development planning to maintain the ecological integrity of the coastal region. Inclusion of environmental and public awareness components within this project as well as involvement of local communities in management decisions concerning development within and adjacent to  - 4 - the project sites will develop a broader grass roots understanding of linkage between long-term economic prospects for the human populations and ecological stability of these wetland ecosystems. Monitorins! Evaluation Baseline and monitoring studies of key environmental indicators reflecting hydrological cycles, water quality, limnology and fisheries within the wetlands are an integral part of the project. The project includes financing for training, institutional development and improvement of research facilities to carry out long-term ecological monitoring studies of the coastal wetlands included in the project. The project would also finance pilot projects to test and evaluate feasibility of development options identified during the early phase of the project.  GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT APPENDIX 2 Coastal Wetlands Management  - 6 - GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Coastal Wetlands Management TABLE OF CONTENTS Paue No. I. INTRODUCTION .......................................... 1 II. BACKGROUND ........................................ 2 A. Coastal Zone Indicative Management Plan ...................... 2 B. Coastal Wetlands Management Plans ......................... 3 C. Importance of Coastal Wetlands for Migratory Birds ............... 4 D. International Conventions Relevant to Coastal Wetlands ............. 6 E. History and Objectives of the Save the Seashore Birds Project ... ...... 8 III. THE PROJECT AREA ....... ..................... 9 A. General Description of the Project Zones ................ 9 B. Site Descriptions, Human Settlement Patterns and Economic Activities within the Project Zones ................................. 11 1. Muni Lagoon Complex ............................. 11 2. Songor Lagoon .................................. 12 3. Anlo-Keta Lagoon Complex .......................... 13 4. Sakumo Lagoon and Densu Delta ...................... 14 IV. RATIONALE ............................................ 15 V. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................................ ... 17 A. Project Description ....... ........ .. ................... 17 B. Site Plans .................... ...................... 19 1. Muni Lagoon Complex ............................. 19 2. Songor Lagoon Complex ............................ 20 3. Anlo-Keta Lagoon Complex .......................... 20 4. Sakumo Lagoon and Densu Delta Complex ................ 21 C. Organization and Management ........... .. ................ 22 D. Project Costs ................... ..................... 25  -7- ANNEXES 1. Acknowledgements 2. Bibliography 3. African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources 4. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals ("Bonn Convention") 5. Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat 6. Indicative Equipment Lists Appearing in Cost Tables 7. Salary Scale for Ghana Department of Game and Wildlife Personnel 8. Terms of Reference for Studies and Technical Advisor 9. Maps of Proposed Project Sites 10. Implementation Schedule for Coastal Wetlands Management Program  - 8 - GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Coastal Wetlands Manag!ement 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Ghana's 550 km coastline includes over 50 lagoons and estuaries ranging in size from a few dozen hectares to over 300 krn2. At present there are no coastal wetlands represented within the national system of parks, reserves and sanctuaries. The recently completed Ghana Environmental Action Plan which incorporates a Coastal Zone Indicative Management Plan (CZIMP), explicitly recognizes this gap. The CZIMP calls for establishment of several coastal wetland protected areas to be developed under a multiple-use management regime with significant local participation in management and administration. The Government of Ghana has indicated its intention to designate five sites as Wetlands of International Importance under the "Ramsar" Convention 1/. 1.2 The five principal sites to be established under this project represent a variety of wetland ecosystems including open and closed brackish lagoons, river deltas and estuaries. Two sites which fall within the greater metropolitan region of Accra-Tema have been designated for green belt/open space/recreation zones under the draft Urban Development Structure Plan 2010. The other three sites represent "rural" areas although human settlements occur adjacent to the wetlands and throughout their catchments. The core wetlands of the project sites range from 3.5 km2 to over 300 km2 in extent and the proposed management zones which include critical catchments range from 35 to 1200 km2. Identification of project sites and documentation of their ecological importance and international significance for migratory birds was accomplished by Dr. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu under the Save the Seashore Birds Project sponsored by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK) in cooperation with the Ghana Department of Game and Wildlife. 1.3 The principal management objective for the five key wetlands targeted under this project is to maintain or restore the ecological integrity of these wetland ecosystems. The purpose is to safeguard their continuing value as wildlife habitat and to enhance sustainable productivity in terms of traditional compatible industries and uses such as coastal and lagoon fisheries, salt production, irrigated agriculture, and recreation. This project will address common requirements to establish and manage the coastal wetlands as "Ramsar" sites such as: boundary survey, demarcation and establishment; monitoring of key indicators reflecting water quality, pollution, erosion, and health of the aquatic environment; site management I/ The 'Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat" known a8 RAMSAR after the town in Iran where it was signed by the original parties on 2 February 1971. Ghana has been a party since 1988.  - 9 - personnel and infrastructure; and local public awareness of environmental issues. The project sites differ appreciably in size and in both the magnitude and nature of present and potential threats to their long term ecological viability. A crucial issue and major component of this project concerns the identification of sustainable development options that meet local community needs and objectives and are compatible with maintaining the long term ecological stability of the wetlands. In the case of the 'rural' lagoons, project-financed activities would include socio-economic and technical studies to identify compatible development options such as intensified fisheries management, development of lagoon aquaculture, and possible expansion of the artisanal salt industry. For the urban lagoons, the project would include financing for engineering studies and civil works to mitigate the impact of urban pollution on the wetland ecosystems and to maintain or restore their natural hydrological balance. 1.4 The principal management authority for the project would be a Wetlands Management Unit to be established within the Department of Game and Wildlife (DGW). In addition to routine project administration and technical management, this unit would include a specialist on community relations and public education. A Wetlands Management Committee would be established under the Natural Resources Inter-sectoral Network administered by the Environmental Protection Council to provide technical guidance and a forum for addressing intersectoral technical issues regarding the management of project sites. Each site would have a local Site Management Committee with representation of traditional community leaders and local government as well as appropriate sectoral agencies and interests (e.g., fishermen, market women). On-site management would be done under the administration of a site warden employed by DGW but to the extent practical employing local residents as community rangers for assisting in monitoring studies, border maintenance and other activities. Disbursement of funds for activities that benefit both the environment and the well-being of the human residents such as improvement in sanitation facilities and water supplies, development of fuelwood resources and modest tourism infrastructure would be done under supervision of the DGW but according to priorities set by the local Site Management Committees. 1.5 Public awareness of environmental issues and of the relationship between environmentally sound management and sustainable economic development are crucial to long term program success. This project seeks to develop community awareness by creating and maintaining modest environmental education facilities at each of the sites, supporting the development and dissemination of appropriate environmental education materials and programs and providing resources to enable expansion and further program development of the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana, a non-government organization for schoolchildren that has taken a leading role in promoting environmental awareness in Ghana over the past three years. II. BACKGROUND A. Coastal Zone Indicative Management Plan 2.1 The Ghana Environmental Action Plan prepared by the Environmental Protection Council with support from the World Bank includes a major section on coastal zone  - 10 - management that was prepared in 1990 under the title "Coastal Zone Indicative Management Plan" (CZIMP). Six sites within the coastal zone, including five coastal lagoons or estuaries and their catchments are proposed for establishment as protected areas with principal management objectives listed as conservation of wildlife or wildlife habitat and the encouragement of compatible economic development activities such as fishing and recreation. The single "upland" site (Cape Three Points Forest Reserve) is being addressed under the World Bank financed "Forestry II" project and is not considered further here. The five wetland sites: Muni, Songor, Sakumo and Anlo-Keta lagoons, and the estuary of the Densu River are shown in Annex 9: Figure 1. The CZIMP includes an indicative management plan for the Songor Lagoon and references draft management plans for three other sites (Muni, Sakumo, Densu Delta) which have been prepared by the Save the Seashore Birds Project. Common elements indicated for the implementation of management plans include the legal designation and physical demarcation of site boundaries, establishment of core zones for faunal protection, identification of sustainable and compatible development options within adjacent "buffer" zones and the need for establishing an effective forum for local community involvement. 2.2 The CZIMP identifies the need to reconcile the conservation of the priority lagoon and estuary zones with development under a multiple-use management regime that encourages the maintenance and/or development of compatible economic activities. The importance of community participation in management of the proposed protected zones is emphasized as well as the potential utility of reinforcing traditional strategies (based on cultural and religious customs and beliefs) for regulating exploitation of lagoon resources. 2.3 The Plan also identifies needs for baseline data collection and monitoring of crucial environmental indicators that concern the environmental health and ecological stability of the priority wetlands, as well as the need for development of a spatial database to facilitate planning on a broader scale within the coastal zone. The importance of environmental education at the community level concerning ecological principals of sustainable wetlands management is recognized. The Departments of Game and Wildlife, Forestry and Fisheries are identified as key implementing agencies for the wetland conservation program with formal linkage to local government through the District Administrations at the level of the individual sites. B. Coastal Wetlands Management Plans 2.4 A study of the coastal wetlands was undertaken as part of preparation for the Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project (GERMP) of which this project forms one component. The resulting report 2/ prepared under sponsorship of the Ghana Environmental Protection Council and the World Bank provides detailed documentation of the concentrations of migratory shorebirds and waders occurring on the Ghana coast; makes explicit recommendations for delineation of the five most ecologically significant coastal wetlands as "Ramsar" sites; outlines requirements for baseline research, monitoring studies and management needs for each of the wetland sites; and provides detailed recommendations a/ Coastal Wetlands Management Plans: Ghana (Ntiamnoa-Baidu and Gordon, 1991)  - 11 - for program implementation, administration, management structure and schedule. The rationale, project justification and recommendations for program implementation given in the following sections are based largely on this document and its supporting annexes. C. Importance of Coastal Wetlands for Migratorv Birds 2.5 The ecological importance of Ghana's coastal wetlands has been systematically evaluated with regard to their international significance as habitat for migratory shorebirds and waders by the Save the Seashore Birds Project - Ghana (SSBP-G). Research on bird movements has been undertaken since 1985 by local survey teams sponsored by the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (U.K.) (Ntiamoa-Baidu and Grieve, 1987; Ntiamoa-Baidu and Hepburn, 1988; Ntiamoa-Baidu, 1988; ibid. 1991). Eighty sites along the Ghana coast have been surveyed and thirteen sites where large numbers of migrants congregate have been regularly monitored for the past five years. The five coastal wetlands which are the focus of this project provide sanctuary for over 80% of the migratory waterbirds stopping in Ghana. All meet criteria as sites of international importance as waterfowl habitat under the "Ramsar" Convention, in that they regularly harbor more that 1 % of the estimated Atlantic Flyway populations of three to nine species of long distance migrants (Table 1). Peak populations of shorebirds and waders recorded at the project sites range from 23,000 to over 111,000 (Table 2). Table 1 Wetland sites on the Ghana coast qualifying as Wetlands of International Importance by the 1% criterion. Calculations based on Altenburgh, ea, 1982 and Smit and Piersma, 1989. Peak counts recorded at: Species 1% of Anlo- Songor Sakumo Korle Densu Muni Elrnina Esiawa Estimated Keta Delta/Panbros East Atlantic Flyway Population l Spotted Redschank 300 8,330 10,060 3.280 550 430 | Greenshank 500 6,900 4,770 1,180 - - 610 l Ringed Plover 2,000 2,860 3,010 - 3,500 - - Curlew Sandpiper 4,500 14,810 6,920 3,270 7,050 4,700 l Sanderling 1,000 - - - - - 4,520 Little Stint 2,000 5,790 2,530 2,570 5,780 2,610 l Black Tailed Godwit 1,500 - - 1,500 - - Avocet 700 1,560 3,740 - - - Black-Winged Stilt * 60 12,080 4,400 900 450 310 150 230 l * Partial migrant. Numbers recorded comprise f. 55% palaearctic; 45% residents.  - 12 - Table 2 Peak counts and number of species recorded for principal wetland and seashore sites on the Ghana coast. Data from SSBP-G. (June, 1991). Site No. of Species Minimum Bird Recorded Population Estimate 1/ Keta Lagoon 2/ 72 109,300 Songor Lagoon 2/ 57 111,000 Densu Delta/Panbros Salt Pans 2/ 57 35,000 Sakumo Lagoon 2/ 66 32,500 Muni Lagoon 2/ 42 23,000 Korle Lagoon 31 21,700 Elmina Salt pans 43 8,600 Esiama Beach 43 9,700 1/ Based on peak counts of species recorded at each site. 2/ Proposed for designation as Ramsar site. 2.6 The project sites together form a network of resting and feeding grounds for more than seventy species of migratory and resident waterbirds. On-going studies by SSBP-G indicate that a large number of the birds wintering along the Ghana coast move regularly among the proposed project sites. Together, these lagoons represent the fourth largest known concentration of migratory waders and shorebirds along the West African Atlantic coast (Table 3). Table 3 Major Concentrations of Migratory Shorebirds and Waders on the West African Atlantic Coast. Data from Smit and Piersman (1989) and SSBP-G (1991). Country Site Estimated Total Bird Population Mauritania Banc d'Arguin 2,038,000 Guinea-Bissau Arguipelago dos Bijagos 980,000 Dem. Republic Guinea entire coast 400,000 Ghana Volta delta and coastal lagoons 130,000+ Sierra Leone Sierra Leone River 50,000 Liberia entire coast 35,000 2.7 Ringing studies which are conducted to monitor bird movements among roosting or feeding sites have just begun in Ghana over the past two years. This is the only reliable technique for recording bird movements with certainty but it is enormously time consuming  - 13 - and labor intensive, with a slow rate of data return for time/effort invested. Preliminary data from ring returns and observations indicate movement occurs among the principal sites but the frequency, magnitude, and proximate causes are not yet well understood. There is evidence that major concentrations of birds shift between Songor and Keta lagoons in response to fluctuations of water levels at Keta. During the peak of annual migrations over 60% of migratory shorebirds and waders stopping in Ghana are found in the Songor and Anlo-Keta wetland complexes of the Volta Delta. 2.8 The numbers of birds stopping in passage or wintering on the Ghana coast as reflected in the peak counts reported in the above tables are minimum estimates. Based on known population turnover rates at Mediterranean and other West African sites the actual numbers of birds stopping in the lagoons over the course of an annual migration cycle is likely up to two times greater that the numbers reflected in peak counts. Although most birds wintering or passing through the Ghanaian lagoons are assumed to belong to the East Atlantic Flyway populations, preliminary data from long distance leg-ring returns indicate that the Ghana coast may be important winter habitat for some bird populations using the Mediterranean Flyway as well. D. International Conventions Relevant to Coastal Wetlands 2.9 Ghana is a signatory to three international conventions that pertain to conservation of wetlands and the fauna and flora that they contain. Titles of the conventions, dates of signing, and relevant abstracts are listed below: -Title: African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ("African Convention") Date Signed By Ghana: 1968 Relevant Provisions: This convention obligates signatories to: "manage aquatic environments, whether in fresh, brackish, or coastal water, with a view to minimizing deleterious effects of any water and land use practice which might adversely affect aquatic habitats." (Art. VII, Sect. la) "In the formulation of all development plans, full consideration shall be given to ecological, as well as economic and social factors." (Art. XIX, Sect. 3) "The Contracting States recognize that it is important and urgent to accord a special protection to those animal and plant species that are threatened with extinction, or which may become so, and to the habitat necessary to their survival." (Art. VIII, Sect. 1)  - 14 - Title: Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals ("Bonn Convention"). Date Signed by Ghana: 1988 Relevant Provisions: "The Parties acknowledge the need to take action to avoid any migratory species becoming endangered." (Art.I1, Sect.2) " Parties that are Range States of a migratory species listed in Appendix I [endangered] shall endeavor: (a) to conserve and where feasible and appropriate, restore those habitats of the species which are of importance in removing the species from danger of extinction." (Art. III, Sect. 4) Title: Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention). Date Signed by Ghana: 1988 Relevant Provisions: "Each Contracting Party shall designate suitable wetlands within its territory for inclusion in a List of Wetlands of International Importance... The boundaries of each wetland shall be precisely described and also delimited on a map and they may incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water... lying within the wetlands, especially where these have importance as waterfowl habitat. "Wetlands should be selected for the List on account of their international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology. In the first instance wetlands of international importance to waterfowl at any season should be included." (Art. II, Sect. 1 and 2) "The Contracting Parties shall formulate and implement their planning so as to promote the conservation of the wetlands included in the List, and as far as possible the wise use of wetlands in their territory. "Each Contracting Party shall arrange to be informed at the earliest possible time if the ecological character of any wetland in its territory and included in the List has changed, is changing or is likely to change as the result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference." (Art. III, Sect. I and 2) "Each Contracting Party shall promote the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl by establishing nature reserves on wetlands, whether they are included in the List or not, and provide adequately for their wardening." (Art. IV, Sect. 1)  - 15 - The Contracting Parties shall encourage research and the exchange of data and publications regarding wetlands and their flora and fauna. " The Contracting Parties shall promote the training of personnel competent in the fields of wetland research, management and wardening." (Art. IV, Sect. 3 and 5) 2.10 Subsequent to the initial conference for establishing the "Ramsar" Convention, held in Ramsar, Iran, several subsequent conferences of the Contracting Parties have been held, the most recent in Regina, Saskatchewan during 1987. The Regina Conference adopted criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance under Article 2 of the convention and provided an expanded definition of "wise use" as employed in Article 3, Sect. 1, quoted above. 2.11 Specific criteria for using waterfowl to identify wetlands of importance adopted at the Regina Conference are: "A wetland should be considered internationally important if: (a) it regularly supports 20,000 waterfowl; or (b) it regularly supports substantial numbers of individuals from particular groups of waterfowl indicative of wetland values, productivity or diversity; or (c) where data on populations are available, it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population or subspecies of waterfowl. 2.12 The expanded definition of "wise use" adopted at the Regina Conference is: " The wise use of wetlands is their sustainable utilization for the benefit of humankind in a way compatible with the maintenance of the natural properties of the ecosystem." Relevant guidelines for "wise use" adopted at Regina include: "(d) proper assessment of environmental impact before development projects are approved, continuing evaluation during the execution of projects, and full implementation of environmental conservation measures which take full account of the recommendations of this process of environmental assessment and evaluation; and "(e) use of development funds for projects which permit conservation and sustainable utilization of wetland resources." Full texts of the conventions and conference resolutions quoted from above are given in Annexes 3-5 to this working paper.  - 16 - E. History and Objectives of the Save the Seashore Birds Project 2.13 Nearly all of the data which establish the importance of the Ghana coastal zone as a region of major concentration for migratory waterfowl have been developed over the past five years under a program that is directed by Dr. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu of the Zoology Department, University of Legon, Ghana. Financial and technical support have been provided by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to assist and sustain a program of avian surveys to identify major concentration areas for migratory birds on the Ghana coast and to regularly monitor populations at key sites on a monthly basis throughout the year. Over the past three years the SSBP has expanded activities in the realm of public awareness of environmental issues and environmental education through the promotion of Wildlife Clubs organized by teachers at the primary and secondary school levels and the publication and distribution of a popular magazine on natural history and conservation for schoolchildren. Through a collaborative program, staff of SSBP and RSPB have developed draft management plans for four of the five sites targeted by this project. Future plans for ongoing collaboration between SSBP and RSPB include expansion of public education programs and development of community level environmental education curricula, as well as continuation of the bird monitoring and ringing program to improve knowledge of bird movements among roosting, feeding and nesting areas. The major constraints on expansion of this program at present are limits on key staff time, shortage of trained personnel, and limited funds for investment in training, curriculum development and capital expenditures (e.g. for construction of education centers). lII. THE PROJECT AREA A. General Description of the Project Zones 3.1 Five coastal wetland areas are proposed for inclusion in this component of the GERMP. They are: Muni and Sakumo lagoons, the Densu River delta, and the Songor and Anlo-Keta lagoon complexes within the Volta delta. Locations of the sites are shown in Annex 9: Figure 1. The sites include the deltas or estuaries at the mouths of the Volta and Densu rivers and three brackish-water lagoons. All of the sites fall within the "coastal zone" as defined in the Coastal Zone Indicative Management Plan included in the EAP. Two of the sites, Sakumo Lagoon and Densu Delta/Panbros Salt Pans fall within the Greater Accra-Tema Urban Planning District. 3.2 Data on the size of these areas are summarized in Table 4. Each site is divided into estimates of the open water lagoon area, a "core zone" where activities would be strictly regulated to preserve their value as wildlife habitat and a management zone that includes the catchments adjacent to the wetlands that are proposed for inclusion in the Ramsar site designations. The rationale for including the adjacent catchments and thereby bringing them within the planning and management regime of the Ramsar sites is to acknowledge that economic and demographic factors within the catchments have direct and potentially profound bearing on the long term ecological stability of the wetlands they surround.  - 17 - Table 4 Size of management areas, wetlands and core zone sanctuaries for proposed Ramsar sites. Site Management Area Lagoon Area Core Zone (Sanctuary) l_________ (km) (km) (hectares) Anlo-Keta 1,200 300+ 2,500 Songor 330 115 500 Densu Delta 70 20 350 Muni 90 3 150 Sakumo 35 3 100 Totals: 1,725 441 3,600 3.3 In Table 5 data are summarized on Ghana's present protected area system and the increase that establishment of the coastal wetlands as Ramsar sites would represent. At present there are no protected wetlands within the coastal zone. Inclusion of the wetlands proposed here which cover approximately 440 km2 would represent an increase of just over 3% in Ghana's protected area system. Classification of the "core zones" (CL 36 km2) of the five sites as sanctuaries where management will specifically focus on habitat protection would increase by 8% the lands currently managed as wildlife sanctuaries and strict nature reserves. Table 5 Overview of Ghana protected area system and increase represented by inclusion of Ramsar sites. (Data from IUCN Directory of Afrotropical Protected Areas, 1987). Category No. of Sites Area (hectare) All protected areas 14 1,288,864 Sanctuaries and strict nature reserves 3 44,817 Wetland areas of proposed Ramsar Sites 5 ca.44,000 Percentage increase in Ghana Protected Area System 3.5% represented by Ramsar Wetlands Core zone sanctuaries proposed within Ramsar sites ca. 8 ca. 3,600 Percentage increase in area classified as sanctuaries 8.0% and strict nature reserves  - 18 - 3.4 Table 6 compares Ghana with the ten other northern and western African signatories of the Ramsar Convention in terms of the size and number of designated wetland sites. At present, Ghana ranks tenth on the list. Designation of the five sites identified under this project would reflect a major increase in relative commitment to wetland conservation and management. Table 6 Ramsar sites in northern and western Africa (data from IUCN-WCMC Ramsar list, 1990). Country No. of Sites Total Area (hectares) Algeria 2 4,900 Egypt 2 46,200 Gabon 3 1,080,000 Guinea-Bissau 1 39,098 Mali 3 162,000 Mauritania 1 1,173,000 Morocco 4 10,580 Niger 1 220,000 Senegal 4 99,720 Tunisia 1 12,600 Ghana (present) 1 7,260 Ghana (proposed) 5 172,500 Total: 6 179,760 B. Site Descriptions, Human Settlement Patterns and Economic Activities within the Project Zones 1. Muni Lagoon Complex 3.5 The Muni site (Annex 9: Figure 1), just west of Winneba encompasses about 90 square kilometers comprising the watershed of the Muni lagoon. Approximately 10% of the drainage area in two parcels is currently classified as Forest Reserve. Within the site, approximately 20 km2 form the traditional hunting grounds of the Efutu people who use this area annually for their Aboakyir Festival, a cultural ceremony that involves the capture of a bushbuck by members of the local Asafo companies. 3.6 Muni has several small settlements within the proposed site. Total population within the proposed site boundaries is less than 2,000, mainly concentrated along the coast and the coast highway. The town of Winneba near the eastern margin of the site is the closest "urban" area with a population of about 30,000. The site falls within two local government Districts.  - 19 - 3.7 The principal economic activity of the people living around Muni lagoon is coastal fishing. Some fishing is done in the lagoon but the local people regard this as marginal to their economy. A small fraction of the catchment is under cultivation for cassava, maize and other crops that are mostly consumed locally. Cattle grazing is not extensive in this region. The nearby town of Winneba is attempting to encourage growth in beach and recreational tourism and some modest tourist facilities have been developed within about 2 km of the eastern margin of the lagoon. 3.8 Proposed zoning would include designation of approximately 0.5 km2 of the lagoon and about lkm2 of the adjacent shoreline as a sanctuary or "core zone" to afford protection for breeding waders and migrants during crucial seasons. The traditional hunting ground and part of the adjacent forest reserve would be designated as a game management area to maintain the population of bushbuck necessary for the Aboakyir Festival to continue. 2. Songor Laioon Complex 3.9 The Songor site (Annex 9: Figure 1) includes the west bank of the lower Volta River estuary and the Songor lagoon which is a shallow, closed lagoon of about 115 square kilometers in surface area. The entire site falls within a single District of local government. The principal major settlement is the town of Ada-Foah on the west bank of the Volta River. Total population within the site boundaries is over 50,000. Settlements adjacent to the lagoon include several villages along the coast and a number of small villages within one to five kilometers of the inland margin of the lagoon. 3.10 Within the region of the Songor lagoon the town of Ada-Foah is trying to develop a tourist industry based on recreational fishing and beach resort tourism. Along the coastal margin of the lagoon, several villages are involved in coastal fishing and fish-smoking for export to commercial domestic markets through Accra. Fishing for tilapia with cast nets occurs throughout the lagoon but no data on catches are available. Interviews with local people indicate that there was once a crab fishery (Callinectes) within the lagoon which seems to have declined in parallel with the near total elimination of mangroves from the eastern part of the lagoon as wood was harvested for smoking fish. Along the northern (landward) and western margins of the lagoon, extensive natural salt pans occur. The Songor lagoon has been the site of an indigenous artisanal salt industry dating back for over a century. Local correspondents estimate that about 8,000 people are involved in the salt trade. Salt is collected by hand from natural evaporation pools and transported to collection points. The salt is then bagged and shipped out by truck to Accra. Eight local cooperative associations handle the shipping and marketing. The Vacuum Salt Company operates commercial salt pans on the northwest margin of the lagoon. Attempts were made to expand commercial/industrial salt winning operations in the region in the early 1980's but met with strong local resistance and were suspended. Recently the National Minerals Commission undertook a feasibility study for industrial expansion of the salt industry at Songor. Results of the study have not been publicly released but there appears to be some potential for major expansion of the salt winning enterprise within and adjacent to the lagoon. Plans for such expansion should minimally take into account the potential hydrological and ecological impacts on the lagoon and a study of the likely consequences for the 100,000+ birds that congregate there seasonally. A recent FAO study on aquaculture development noted the potential suitability of Songor lagoon for development of up to 200 ha of shrimp ponds.  - 20 - 3.11 The total management area would encompass about 330 km2. Proposed zoning within the site would include designation of a "core zone" or sanctuary of about 5 km2 at the eastern end of the lagoon for protection of migratory bird habitat. A "buffer" zone extending about one kilometer from the lagoon margin would be delineated where development would be restricted to activities compatible with maintaining the ecological stability of the lagoon. 3. Anlo-Keta Lagoon Complex 3.12 The Keta Lagoon (Annex 9: Figure 1), adjacent wetlands and the immediate catchment of this wetland complex, encompass about 1200 km2 including the eastern bank of the Volta estuary and the coastal wetlands between the Volta River and the Togo border. The surface area of the principal lagoons and seasonally flooded mudflats is over 300 km2. 3.13 Approximately 80,000 people live within the site boundaries concentrated principally along the coast and the northern (inland) margins of the lagoon. Coastal erosion is a severe problem effecting the long term viability of the coastal communities. The coast and lagoons of the Anlo-Keta complex may be undergoing long term successional changes due in part to hydrological consequences of damming the Volta river. 3.14 The Keta lagoon complex supports the largest "inland" fishery within the coastal zone of Ghana. The mode of fishing is artisanal employing a variety of methods including cast nets, crab traps, bottle traps, trawl nets and shrimp traps. Traditional methods of habitat manipulation through the construction of "brush-parks" or acadjas to enhance fish catches are employed in the Keta lagoon. Principal species harvested from the lagoon include tilapia (Oreochromis), mullet (Mugilidae), crab (Callinectes) and shrimp (Penaeus and Parapenaeopsis). Catch statistics are unavailable but a recent FAO study (MacPherson, t al., 1990) reported that for Keta as for the other coastal lagoons, "Catches seem small as do the sizes of the individual fish in the catch, a sign of overexploitation." This study noted the potential for culture based fisheries in the lagoons but cautioned that "... a thorough-going survey of the fisheries and environmental conditions is a prerequisite to the design of any stocking program." 3.15 Other principal economic activities affecting the Keta lagoon are irrigated agriculture, principally along the interior margin of the coastal barrier dune west of the town of Keta. The effects of runoff from the irrigated culture of shallots on the lagoon are not well known. Obviously the salinity of the lagoon is an important factor in the viability of irrigated agriculture on the lagoon margin. Some potential for salt pan development has been identified but details are unknown. 3.16 Proposed zoning within the site would include designation of up to five core zones or sanctuaries for the conservation of critical bird habitat. Though several areas of high bird concentrations are known, the precise location and size of these critical areas will require further study before they can be precisely delineated. It is estimated that the combined area of these critical zones will be in the range of 25 km2. As with the other lagoons, a "buffer zone" would be designated to include the areas of the catchment with direct influence on the lagoon ecosystem.  - 21 - 4. Sakumo Lagoon and Densu Delta 3.17 The greater Accra-Tema metropolitan region, the largest urban area in Ghana, has experienced rapid growth and a doubling of population over the past two decades to a current population in excess of 1.5 million. Even without migration, the relatively high intrinsic population growth rate will lead to a doubling again of the urban population in the region surrounding these lagoons over the next twenty years. Sakumo lies between Accra and the Tema township where urban development has approached within a few hundred meters of the eastern margin of the lagoon (Annex 9: Figure 1). The Densu River delta lies just to the west of Accra and urban development has occurred to the eastern margin of the lagoon and along the coast (Annex 9: Figure 1). 3.18 The Sakumo lagoon is still used by artisanal fishermen who catch tilapia, crab and shrimp with cast nets and traps. This area has considerable value as urban "green space' for recreational activities of inhabitants of the metropolitan region. Current development plans for the catchment area include proposals for development of a golf course along the western margin and of a sewage treatment facility for Accra-Tema near the eastern shore. These two proposals highlight potential conflicts concerning development issues within the area surrounding this lagoon. Studies done in the early 1970's indicated there was some potential for fish aquaculture in this lagoon but there has been no attempt to pursue this enterprise (Pauly, 1976). Human waste runoff from housing developments in Tema township adjacent to the lagoon are a current major source of pollution that is leading to eutrophication of the lagoon. Estimates of this pollution and options to mitigate impact on the lagoon of discharge of treated effluent from a planned sewage treatment plant are described in Appendix 3 as well as technical requirements for studies to evaluate options to restore natural tidal flushing of the lagoon. 3.19 The Densu River delta/estuary lies on the coastal floodplain below the Weija Dam. About half of the surface area of open water has been developed as a commercial salt producing operation with an extensive system of evaporation ponds. The pattern of water release from the Weija Dam is a major factor effecting the dynamics of the ecosystem as well as the salt production industry. Pollution with human waste from Accra is a problem of increasing concern. Some artisanal fishing occurs within the lagoon and along the coast. A recent FAO study of development potential for aquaculture in Ghana noted the potential feasibility of developing shrimp aquaculture in conjunction with the salt pond facilities there. 3.20 The proposed management area for Densu Delta (Annex 9: Figure 1) encompasses roughly 70 km2 covering the estuary and immediate drainage below the Weija Dam and the Panbros salt pans and adjacent lagoon (frequently referred to as "Sakumo I"). The Sakumo lagoon site (sometimes called Sakumo II), located between the urban centers of Accra and Tema would include approximately 35 km2 of the adjacent, undeveloped drainage area in the management zone. The areas of open water represented in these two wetlands are approximately 20 km2 and 3 km2 for Densu Delta and Sakumo Lagoon, respectively. The "core zone" or sanctuary areas proposed for Densu Delta and Sakumo Lagoon are approximately 3.5 km2 and 1.0 km2, respectively.  - 22 - IV. RATIONALE 4.1 Globa. The justification or rationale for considering the use of GEF funds to sustain and enhance the ecological health of coastal wetlands in Ghana can be viewed at three levels: global, national and local. At the global level the primary importance of these coastal lagoons and estuaries concerns their international significance as habitat for migratory shorebirds. The mudflats, sand bars and brackish lagoons of Ghana lie at the apex of a vast inverted triangle spanning at its widest point over 240 degrees of latitude from the frozen fjords of Ellesmere Island to the shores of the East Siberian Sea. The East Atlantic Flyway, defined by the regular annual transit paths of several million birds shows vividly (and realistically) the biotic interconnection among the continents of Africa, North America and Eurasia. The long term viability of the bird populations that connect these diverse landscapes is inextricably linked to the health of the ecosystems in which they find regular sanctuary along their seasonal migration routes. The magnitude of the distances travelled and the seemingly vast numbers of individuals involved seem to defy the reduction of the problems of shorebird conservation to a simple equation of the form: x hectares of habitat conserved = y number of birds preserved. The regional significance of the Ghana coastal wetlands is illustrated by the following statistics: (a) overall, close to 5% of the shorebirds and waders of the entire East Atlantic Flyway find refuge for part of each year on a few dozen square kilometers of wetlands on the Ghana coast; (b) for 11 of the 42 species of long distance migratory waterfowl that regularly frequent the coast, the concentrations within these individual lagoons represent greater than 1% (up to 30% for some species) of the entire estimated flyway populations (Table 1); and (c) together these five lagoons and estuaries annually harbor the fourth largest known concentration of Atlantic coastal migrants in West Africa. (Table 3) Of the major roosting and feeding areas for migrants on the West African Atlantic coast, the Ghana lagoons are noteworthy for the absence of any formal management or protection. Effecting management of these wetlands would be a top priority investment for migratory bird conservation on both a regional and global scale. The current global registry of Ramsar sites (IUCN, 1991) lists no protected wetlands along the entire coast of the Gulf of Guinea - a prominent gap in the existing regional network of conservation areas. 4.2 National. Ghana's record of commitment to conservation of biodiversity is praiseworthy: over 5% of the national territory is currently represented in the system of parks, reserves, sanctuaries and game management areas. Evidence of continuing commitment is shown through inclusion of an action plan to improve management of the existing protected area system under the Forest Resource Management Project using credit funds supplied by the World Bank. A notable gap in the Ghana protected area system (identified in the Ghana EAP) is the absence of units that represent coastal wetland ecosystems. From a national perspective of sustaining the widest representation of natural biodiversity at the level of ecosystems or natural communities, coastal wetlands are a top  - 2 3 - priority. Further, the sites identified under this project include the only presently known nesting sites in Ghana for three species of sea turtles listed as globally threatened by IUCN. 4.3 Local. The coastal zone of Ghana includes both the region with the highest density of human habitation and most rapid growth (greater Accra), and rural districts that are within the lowest national stratum of personal or household income. In the first instance the Sakumo lagoon and Densu Delta wetlands provide the most accessible sites for outdoor recreation and interaction with the natural environment to residents of the largest urban district in Ghana in addition to their documented global importance for biodiversity conservation. In the instance of the rural lagoons - Muni, Songor and Keta - the majority of people living around the lagoons derive a major fraction of their livelihood from the lagoons themselves (via fishing and/or salt winning) or from industries such as inshore marine fisheries that depend, at least in part, on the ecological health of the adjacent wetlands (e.g., as fish spawning grounds or sources of nutrient input into inshore coastal waters). Both the present way of life and the long term economic prospects of the human populations living near the lagoons and estuaries depend on the ecological health and stability of these wetland ecosystems. 4.4 The basic rationale for the program that is described in the following section is that the "international" or "global" value that is placed on these wetlands by the world community can only be realized or maintained if this value can be reconciled with the values and needs of the people that live in and derive their livelihood from these wetland ecosystems, and if these values are perceived at the national level where critical decision making occurs. The crucial link is the identification of common resources that benefit human and avian inhabitants jointly. In the case of these coastal wetlands, traditional "protection" is not an option to maintain critical bird habitat if it implies undue restriction of the options of people to derive benefit from the resources that effect both the birds and their own lifestyle and livelihood (e.g., clean water, stable or predictable hydrological cycles, and sustained harvestable aquatic food resources). The section that follows describes the program proposed to identify and reinforce these common values - at local, national and global levels - and to maintain the common resources upon which all living components of these ecosystems (human and biotic) depend. Working Paper # 9, prepared for the associated project (GERMP) provides further discussion of the economic considerations of wetland values. 4.5 Present Ecological/Economic Status. Long term viability of the coastal wetlands depends ultimately on accurate assessment of their sustainable potential productivity of goods and services (e.g., food, fuel, fibre, recreation, salt, flood control, pollution sinks, etc.) to communities living within and adjacent to the catchments. Acceptance of the conservation program by local communities may depend on the actions taken to enable them to appreciate and realize profits from improvements in wetland management. At present the principal direct products of the lagoons are fish, crabs, salt, and firewood (from harvesting of mangroves). There are no reliable long-term data on fisheries productivity of the lagoons but interviews with residents indicate a decline in fish harvests over the past two decades. At Songor lagoon, long time residents noted the decline of the crab fishery in parallel with the near elimination of mangroves from the lagoon margin. The salt industry is dependant on the salinity of water entering the lagoons (or pumped from the ocean) and the amount of freshwater inflow from natural floods or the water release cycle of upstream dams. Several of the lagoons (Songor, Keta, Densu) which were formerly open to the sea (and thus potentially significant nursery grounds for inshore fish stocks) are now closed. Sakumo lagoon, formerly open to the sea across much of its width, is now reduced to modest tidal  - 24 - flow through a pair of narrow culverts. The relationship between changes in the lagoons over the past 20-40 years and inshore marine fish catches is not well understood. Data on inshore marine fisheries show a recent decline in average length of fish taken, suggesting that present exploitation is beyond sustainable levels (M. A. Mensah, pers. comm.). The former productivity of these lagoons and estuaries is unknown but indications are that their present production of fish is likely below their previous potential. Likewise, actual and potential production of salt within these brackish lagoons is certainly below former potential when the lagoons were subject to inflow of seawater. The absence of data on annual hydrological cycles, salinity, fish population dynamics, nutrient cycles, and pollution levels in the lagoons (though see Biney, 1982) makes it difficult to estimate potential sustainable productivity of fish, crabs, shrimp or salt; to determine what nature and extent of interventions might enhance productivity of the lagoon or inshore marine environments; or to determine what the costs and benefits of interventions might be. One major aspect of the project described below is a program to develop the requisite data base on biological and physical parameters to identify long term sustainable development options and identify potential interventions. V. THE PROPOSED PROJECT A. Project Description 5.1 The objectives of the coastal wetlands management program are to bring the five key coastal wetlands identified in the EAP and proposed for designation as "Ramsar" sites under an effective management regime, to ensure their long term ecological viability, to encourage appropriate economic development that is consistent with these goals, and to promote public awareness of environmental issues and conservation values. The proposed program has four principal elements: site establishment and management; research and monitoring; community- based development; and environmental education/public awareness. These are first discussed below, followed by more detailed discussion of project-financed activities at each site. 5.2 Survey and Demarcation. The project would finance the survey and demarcation of site boundaries including designation of "core zones" for critical habitat conservation, and "land management zones" for protecting their watersheds. Activities to be financed by the project would include border planting and pillaring; establishment of firebreaks; erosion control and amenity planting; construction of trails and observation posts for monitoring bird populations and other wildlife. 5.3 Local Site Management. The project would finance management of the sites including staffing with appropriate personnel from the Department of Game and Wildlife (DGW). Management activities such as maintenance of boundaries and trail systems, monitoring of wildlife populations, habitat management and erosion control planting will be undertaken under DGW supervision with staff recruited locally and provided with training in basic principals of conservation and wildlife management. Activities to be financed under the program include training for community rangers/wardens, construction and furnishing of offices and lodging for DGW site wardens, construction and staffing of community education facilities. Management of the upland areas within the project sites to enhance productivity  - 25 - and reduce land degradation (and negative impact on the aquatic environment) would be undertaken following methods and principles developed under the Land Management Component of the GERMP. The project would also finance engineering studies and civil works to mitigate detrimental impacts of identified problems, e.g., proposed sewerage- treatment plant effluent discharge into Sakumo Lagoon and the identification and analysis of options for improving tidal flushing of the lagoon (see Appendix 3). 5.4 Research and Monitoring. The project would finance the necessary baseline studies to determine the current status of the aquatic ecosystems and surrounding catchments and to carry on regular monitoring of key hydrological, limnological and biological indicators for the duration of the project. A research station/laboratory would be established within the Songor site under the administration of DGW with links to appropriate academic and research institutes to serve as a base for long term studies of aquatic biology within the Volta River delta. The general requirements and management structure for the proposed studies are provided in Annex 8. The project would also finance the development of a National Wetlands Conservation Strategy. This would be undertaken during year three of the project to build on the knowledge, information and experience developed under the Coastal Wetlands program, and utilizing information developed under the Volta Basin Environment and Development Options Study to be undertaken under the associated project (GERMP), and the study of development options for coastal wetlands described below (Terms of Reference are given in Annex 8). Additional studies to be financed under the GERMP would include environmental impact assessment of any proposed development schemes effecting the wetlands. 5.5 Community Development. The project would support development that is compatible with maintaining the ecological balance of the wetlands through financing of socio-economic and technical studies of compatible development options such as intensified fisheries management, development of lagoon aquaculture and expansion of salt production. The project would also establish an investment fund to finance pilot schemes and infrastructure that would enable the options identified to be realized. These would include enterprises that both benefit the environment and promote well-being of local communities such as construction of sanitation facilities, improvement of local water supplies, development of alternative fuelwood resources and improvements in infrastructure for water management and tourism development. 5.6 Environmental Education and Public Awareness. The project would finance the construction and staffing of community education facilities at each of the project sites and provide training in environmental education to personnel of the DGW and the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana (WCG). A major facility for visitors would be constructed adjacent to the Sakumo Lagoon which would also provide headquarters and office space for the DGW management and educational staff. The Sakumo center located in the heart of the major metropolitan district of Accra-Tema would have exhibit, classroom and auditorium facilities that would cater to school field trips and provide regular programs on environmental themes for the general public. The center would be maintained by the DGW but would share programming with the environmental education unit of the EPC. Development of curricula and educational materials, organization of special events, and promotion of environmental awareness in the general public would be done by WCG personnel. 5.7 The project would also provide financial support to the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana, a non-government organization focussed on developing environmental awareness in school  - 26 - children. The project would finance production and dissemination of educational materials, sponsor training workshops for volunteer Wildlife Club leaders and underwrite extension activities such as field trips, camps and environmental/conservation projects. WCG would train and supervise community education officers to work with local communities and develop programs for the local education centers at each of the wetland sites. B. Site Plans 5.8 Details of boundary establishment and habitat enhancement for all of the sites are summarized in Table 8. Table 8 Boundary establishment and habitat enhancement activities for Ramsar sites. l__________________ l _______ _ lC overage Activity Unit Unit Cost Muni Songor Anlo- Sakumo/ Total l __________________ (Cedis) Keta Densu _ _ Boundary survey km 162,500 48 112 250 50 460 Boundary clearance km 6,700 40 50 160 20 270 Border planting km 187,500 40 50 160 45 295 Firebreaks km 60,000 15 0 0 0 15 Nature trails km 6,700 5 10 20 15 50 Survey pillars unit 100,000 40 60 100 90 290 Signboards unit 50,000 80 100 150 200 530 Habitat imp pltg ha 37,600 200 100 200 0 500 Erosion control pltg ha 37,600 200 100 300 60 660 Roosting islands unit 2,000,000 0 2 8 6 16 Boundary maint. km 6,700 48 112 250 50 Firebreak maint. km 60,000 15 - - - 1. Muni Lagoon Complex 5.9 Management of the traditional hunting grounds involves habitat enhancement planting, modest restocking of the bushbuck population and construction of firebreaks along the perimeter. Observation posts will be constructed to facilitate management and monitoring of game populations.  - 27 - 5.10 Capital works include the construction of a modest education center, housing and office facilities for the Site Warden. This will also require upgrading of the coastal road for about 2.5 km west from Winneba to the proposed site of the education/office complex. 5.11 Baseline and monitoring studies for the Muni site will include an initial biological survey of the bushbuck management area as well as assessment of hydrological, limnological and biological parameters of the lagoon. 5.12 Use of community infrastructure funds are anticipated for construction of sanitation facilities and purchase of a dump truck for refuse removal. 2. Songor Lagoon Complex 5.13 Delineation of the bird sanctuary and buffer zones will follow recommendations of studies done by the Save the Seashore Birds Project that are currently in progress. 5.14 In addition to the "routine" baseline and monitoring studies of hydrology, limnology, aquatic biology, and erosion effects on the lagoon (Table 11), proposed expansion of the salt industry within and adjacent to the lagoon will require an environmental impact assessment of effects on the lagoon ecology and their implications for the migratory birds which concentrate there in numbers that regularly exceed 100,000 individuals. Results of the EIA may identify engineering studies that would be required to define options to mitigate detrimental effects resulting from expansion of the salt-winning industry. Through the Investment Support Fund to be established under this project financing of these studies and/or civil works to reduce or mitigate impacts on the bird sanctuary zone could be provided should the proposed expansion of the salt industry occur. 5.15 Capital works proposed include the construction and equipping of a field research center for the study of wetland ecology of the lagoon and the lower Volta River delta. The DGW would administer the center in collaboration with the University of Ghana at Legon. To provide reliable access to the proposed field center and the eastern margin of the lagoon it will be necessary to upgrade about 10 km of roadway along the coast east of the town of Ada Foah. Funding is included for the construction of observation towers to facilitate monitoring of bird populations and for construction of roosting islands to enhance use of the sanctuary zones during high water episodes. 5.16 Anticipated uses of community infrastructure funds include the construction of sanitation facilities and improvement of fresh water supplies to villages on the margin of the lagoon and possible construction of aquaculture ponds and works to better control water flow to the salt pans. 3. Anlo-Keta Lagoon Complex 5.17 The cost estimate for survey and border demarcation for this large area is based on the intention of adopting certain pre-existing boundaries such as national highways and shorelines as the "official" site boundaries where this is practical. Nonetheless, there is an anticipated need for demarcating "internal" boundaries of buffer zones and core/sanctuary areas as the data for identifying these areas are acquired.  - 28 - 5.18 Baseline and monitoring studies concerning the hydrology, limnology, aquatic biology and fisheries of the principal lagoons are proposed to be undertaken at the same level of effort as for Songor Lagoon. A direct "scale up" based on lagoon surface area would require several times the effort for Songor. The purpose of these studies is to develop an understanding of the key indicators that reflect the health and stability of the wetland ecosystem so the emphasis is on defining a survey and monitoring protocol that can be realistically sustained over time rather than a comprehensive "research" regime. Studies concerning long term hydrological changes resulting from construction of the Akosongo Dam and related erosion problems are included in the Volta Basin environmental assessment to be undertaken under the associated Bank project. 5.19 Capital works proposed, include the construction of a modest community education center at Keta and offices and housing for management personnel from the DGW. About 15 km of road upgrading will be necessary to provide access for monitoring use of wetlands and beaches along the western margin of the site by birds and nesting sea turtles. Regions of the Keta complex experience appreciable fluctuations in water level that periodically result in roosting areas being inundated to levels that preclude their use by wading birds. Funds have been reserved for construction of roosting islands in key areas once these have been identified. 5.20 Anticipated uses of community infrastructure development funds include the construction of improved public sanitation facilities in villages adjacent to the lagoon and possibly maintenance of canals used for bringing water to irrigated crops at the lagoon margin and improved fisheries management. 4. Sakumo Lagoon and Densu Delta Complex 5.21 The project would finance survey, delineation and demarcation of site boundaries and amenity planting of borders and other areas. In addition to baseline and monitoring studies of lagoon hydrology, limnology, aquatic biology and ornithology the project would finance necessary engineering studies to define options for improved regulation of water flow and water quality within the lagoons and the Densu River estuary (see Annex 8). 5.22 The location of Sakumo Lagoon in the center of the Accra-Tema metropolitan region and the easy access and recreational opportunities it thereby affords for the large nearby urban populations, make this site the logical choice for an environmental education center that would serve both the metropolitan school districts and the general public. The project would finance construction of a visitor/nature center that will present regular educational programs for schoolchildren and the public to develop and enhance public awareness about the ecology of coastal wetlands and environmental issues in general. 5.23 A major capital expenditure associated with establishment of the Sakumo site concerns construction of an ocean outfall for treated effluent from the Tema sewage treatment plant to be constructed near the eastern margin of the Sakumo Lagoon. Engineering details and costing of the outfall are presented in Appendix 3.  - 29 - C. Organization and Management 5.24 Program Coordination and Supervision. The project would provide funds to establish a Wetlands Management Unit (WMU) within the Department of Game and Wildlife consisting of a Principal Wildlife Officer/ Wetlands Specialist, an Environmental Education/ Community Relations Specialist and appropriate support personnel. A senior technical advisor with knowledge of Ghanaian coastal ecosystems and conservation issues within this region would be recruited by DGW to assist the WMU program coordinator in program planning, design and execution. The WMU would be the principal executing agency for the project. Local on- site management activities would be carried out by DGW site wardens supervised by the WMU and locally recruited community wardens or rangers. Although initially the WMU would primarily focus on the coastal wetlands, this unit should be established at an appropriate administrative level to take responsibility for wetlands conservation and management nationwide as capacity and experience with wetland management grows and other priority areas are identified. 5.25 Intersectoral participation in policy decisions affecting the project sites would be accomplished through oversight by the Natural Resources Inter-sectoral Network, a standing committee to be administered by the EPC Technical Secretariat. Routine administrative supervision and program review would be provided by the Coastal Wetland Management Project Operations Committee (CWMPOC), the composition of which is outlined in Table 9. The Natural Resources Inter-sectoral Network would deal with major policy issues affecting the Coastal Wetlands Program, provide a forum for identifying and resolving intersectoral conflicts concerning management of the sites and provide oversight and review of major project components such as the development options study. The CWMPOC would operate as a standing operational group to plan and review program activities. For special needs such as the design and periodic review of the research and monitoring studies described below (Table 1 I and Sections 5.28 - 5.29) membership would be expanded to bring in special expertise as required. Table 9 Coastal Wetland Management Project Operations Committee Chair: Director, Department of Game and Wildlife Secretary: Wetlands Management Unit Coordinator, DGW Members: Deputy Director, Inter-sectoral Networking, EPC-TS; Wetlands Program Technical Advisor 5.26 Survey and Demarcation. External boundary surveys would be done during the first year of the project and reviewed or supervised by the Survey Department. The establishment, posting and maintenance of external boundaries as well as demarcation of "internal" boundaries within the sites, border planting, and firebreak establishment would be carried out under DGW supervision with locally recruited labor. 5.27 Local Site Management. Local Site Management Committees would be established for each site that would include representation by local government, traditional councils,  - 30 - district sectoral officers, as well as representatives of local industry/artisan cooperatives. Table 10 illustrates the proposed composition of the Site Committee for Songor Lagoon. Site Management Committees would participate in development of management plans for the areas and approve disbursement of community infrastructure funds. The WMU with input from local site committees, the senior technical advisor and relevant sectoral agencies will develop management plans for each of the sites. A resident DGW warden would be responsible for overseeing routine operations and management activities at each site including habitat enhancement, monitoring of wildlife populations, maintenance of trails and boundaries, etc. Table 10 Site Management Committee for Songor Lagoon Chairman: CWMU Technical Advisor Secretary: CWMU Coordinator Members: Resident DGW Game Warden Representative of SSBP-G District Secretary Representative of Traditional Council District Forestry Officer District Fisheries Officer Presiding Member, Ada District Assembly Representative of Ministry of Health Representative, Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation Representative of Fisherman's Cooperative Representative of salt miner's cooperatives 5.28 Research and Monitoring. Design and execution of the studies summarized in Table 11 would be done under supervision of the CWMPOC augmented with expert members drawn from relevant agencies such as the Institute of Aquatic Biology (GAB), the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), the Water Resources Research Institute and the Institute for Statistics, Social and Economic Research (ISSER). General terms of reference for baseline and monitoring studies are given in Annex 8. Table 11 provides an estimate of overall research requirements for each site in terms of "person-months" of effort. The Senior Technical Advisor will be the person with principal responsibility for planning, design, execution and overall coordination, supervision and review of the research and monitoring study program. 5.29 Baseline and monitoring studies will begin in the first year and continue throughout the duration of the project. Specific studies will be carried out by: the Water Resources Research Institute (hydrology); the Institute of Aquatic Biology (limnology, water quality, lagoon fisheries); and the University of Ghana (Legon), Zoology and Botany Departments (birds and other terrestrial vertebrates, plant ecology and ethnobotany). Studies will focus on key indicators for monitoring the health of the wetland ecosystems or important elements such as migratory bird populations, fishery stocks and economically useful plants. The overall requirements for studies will be developed by a working group formed by the CWMPOC and chaired by the Senior Technical Advisor. The working group will also regularly review  - 31 - results of the monitoring studies and advise CWMPOC on the need for modifications to study design or requirements for further research. Table 11 Baseline and monitoring studies for Ramsar sites Study Type Minimum Maximum No. of Sites Total (months) (months) (Min + Max) (months) Baseline Water quality, Limnology, Aquatic biology 2 3 3 + 2 12 Hydrology 2 2 3 + 2 10 Lagoon fisheries 1 2 3 + 2 7 Water birds 1 2 3 + 2 7 Terrest. ecology 1 2 3 + 2 7 Erosion/land degradation 1 2 3 + 2 7 Sociology 1 4 3 + 2 11 Total 9 17 27 + 34 61 Annual Monitoring Water quality, Limnology, Aquatic biology 1 1 5 Hydrology 1 1 5 Lagoon fisheries 1 1 5 Water birds 1 1 5 Terrest. ecology 1 1 5 Erosion/land degradation 1 1 5 Sociology 1 1 Total 5 35 "Minimum" Sites: Muni, Densu Delta, Sakumo "Maximum" Sites: Songor, Keta 5.30 Community Development. Project financed studies to identify development options within the Ramsar sites that are compatible with maintaining their ecological value would be undertaken under the administration of the EPC/TS. Terms of reference would be drawn up by the Studies and Investigations Project Operations Committee (SIPOC) administered by the EPC, and reviewed by the CWMPOC. Studies would be executed by a team of local and international consultants minimally including specialists in resource economics, fisheries, agronomy, wetland ecology, hydrology/limnology and rural sociology. Results and recommendations would be reviewed by the SIPOC and CWMPOC. Use of the Investment  - 32 - Support Fund for identified developments within the coastal wetland sites would be subject to approval by CWMPOC and IDA. Local Site Committees would participate in decisions concerning disbursement of community development funds (for infrastructure such as sanitation facilities, water supplies, etc.) to be administered by the WMU under CWMPOC supervision. 5.31 Environmental Education and Public Awareness. Development of curricula and community education/awareness programs will be coordinated by the education officer within the WMU in collaboration with the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana. The WMU education officer and WCG staff will plan and conduct educational activities to foster awareness of environmental issues affecting the coastal region. An assistant education officer will be in charge of operating the environmental education center at Sakumo Lagoon with responsibility for developing public information programs there. Support to the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana to foster environmental awareness among schoolchildren will be administered through the WMU. Project support to WCG will finance publication of a children's magazine on conservation and the environment, training and orientation of Wildlife Club Leaders, organization of special events to promote community awareness of environmental issues, training and posting of community relations/environmental awareness specialists at each of the community education centers (Muni, Songor, and Keta) developed under the project. D. Project Costs 5.32 Tentative estimates of the costs of the Coastal Wetlands Management Program amount to approximately US$ 8.3 million of which $0.5 M is allocated for the Investment Support Fund to be administered under CWMPOC supervision. The approximate breakdown of proposed expenditures within general categories is: Site survey and demarcation 10% Site improvement/management 40% Community development 18% Mitigation and restoration 6% Research and monitoring 19% Education and public awareness 7% 5.33 Financial Implications. The principal elements of recurrent costs for management of the Ramsar Sites are associated with personnel, maintenance of equipment and facilities, and environmental monitoring. Estimates for the annual costs (for Project Year 5) in these categories are: Personnel US$ 34,900 Maintenance of Equipment and Facilities 232,800 Environmental Monitoring 76,500 TOTAL 333,500  - 33 - APPENDIX 2 Annex 1 Page 1 of 1 GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Acknowledgements This working paper is based on information, data and ideas supplied by the people listed (alphabetically) below, who generously and patiently shared their time, thoughts and expertise during the pre-appraisal missions to Ghana conducted during 1991 and early 1992 and subsequently during the preparation of this paper in Washington, D.C. Data on abundance and distribution of birds was provided by Dr. Yaa Ntiamnoa-Baidu, Director of the Save the Seashore Birds Project of Ghana, who is also the principal architect of the program outlined in this paper. Information on costs and quantities of materials and required activities were assembled by Christopher Gordon who also provided considerable input concerning the design of monitoring studies and other aspects of the program. Mr. Daniel, Amlalu, EPC (Ghana) Dr. A. T. Amuzu, Water Resources Research Institute (Ghana) Dr. E. Asibey, AFTEN, World Bank Mr. Charles A. Biney, Institute of Aquatic Biology, (Ghana) Dr. Cynthia Cook, AFTEN, World Bank Mr. Alastair Gammell, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK) Dr. Barry Gold, U.S. National Academy of Sciences Prof. Ebenezer Laing, University of Ghana, Legon (Ghana) Dr. Edouardo Loayza, AFTAG, World Bank Dr. Martin A. Mensah, Fisheries Research Unit (Ghana) Mr. Yao Ofori-Frimpong, Game and Wildlife Departrnent (Ghana) Mr. G.A. Punguse, Game and Wildlife Department, (Ghana) Mr. Brian A. Roberts, UN Centre for Human Settlements (Ghana) Mr. Ken Smith, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK) Prof. B.A.W. Trevallion, National Development Planning Commission (Ghana) Particular thanks are due the Director and staff of the Environmental Protection Council of Ghana for the many courtesies and able assistance that were extended to us during our visit.  - 34 - APPENDIX 2 Annex 2 Page 1 of 2 GHANA COASTAL WEILANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Bibliography Altenburgh, W., M. Engelmoer, R. Mes and T. Piersma. 1982. Wintering waders on the Banc d Arguin, Mauritania. report of The Netherlands Ornithological Mauritanian Expedition, 1980. Stichting Veth Totsteum aan Waddenonderzock, Leiden. Biney, C.A. 1982, Preliminary survey of the state of pollution of the coastal environment of Ghana. Oceanologica Acta, 39-43. =........ 1986. Preliminary physico-chemical studies of lagoons along the Gulf of Guinea in Ghana. Trop. Ecol. 27:147-156. ......... . 1990. A review of some characteristics of freshwater and coastal ecosystems in Ghana. Hyudrobiologia 208:45-53. Dugan, P.J. (ed) 1990. Wetland Conservation: A review of current issues and required actions. IUCN. Gland, Switzerland, 96pp. Environmental Protection Council of Ghana. 1991. Ghana National Oil Spill Contingency Plan. 12pp. Gordon, C. 1987. Coastal lagoons of Ghana in African wetlands and shallow water bodies. M.J. Burgis and J.J. Symoens (eds.) ORSTOM. Paris, pp. 177-182. IUCN-WCMC 1987. IUCN Directory of Afrotropical Protected Areas. Gland, Switzerland. pp. 222-225. IUCN-WCMC 1990. list of Wetlands of International Importance Designated by the contracting parties - Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. pp.1-15. Lyster, S. 1985. International Wildlife Law: An analysis of international treaties concerned with conservation of wildlife. Gropis Publ., Cambridge, U.K. 470 pp + xxiii.  - 35 - APPENDIX 2 Annex 2 Page 2 of 2 MacPherson, N.J. eld. 1990. A synthesis report on technical assistance and investment framework for aquaculture and culture-based fisheries in Ghana. FAO, Rome. 32 pp. Mensah, M.A. 1979. The hydrology and fisheries of the lagoons and estuaries of Ghana. Marine Fishery Research Report No. 7. Fishery Research Unit. Tema, Ghana 14 pp. ........... .and K.A. Korateng. 1988. A review of the oceanography and fisheries resources in the coastal waters of Ghana, 1981-1986. Fisheries Department, Research and Utilization Branch, Tema, Ghana. 35 pp. Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y. 1988. Three years of saving the seashore birds in Ghana. SSBP-G Publ. No. 2. ................. . ... 1991. Seasonal changes in the importance of coastal wetlands in Ghana for wading birds. Biological Conservation 57:139-158. ............... . ......1991. Conservation of coastal lagoons in Ghana: the traditional approach. Landscape and Urban Planning 20: 41-46. Elsevier, Amsterdam. ................. .and I.R. Hepburn. 1988. Wintering waders in coastal Ghana. RSPB Cons. Review. 2: 85-88. ................. .and C. Gordon. 1991. Coastal Wetlands Management Plans: Ghana. Environmental Protection Council, Ghana. 140pp. Smit, C.J. and T. Piersma. 1989. Numbers, midwinter distribution, and migration of wader populations using the East Atlantic flyway. pp.24-63 in Flyways and reserve networks for water birds. H. Boyd and J.-Y Pirot, eds. IWRB Spec. Pubi. No. 9. Tumbull, D. 1989. Ghana Medium Term Agricultural Development Plan (MTADP): Fisheries Sector Action Program. Working Paper 5. World Bank, 104 pp.  - 36 - APPENDIX 2 Annex 3 GHANA COASTAL WETLANDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resourc  AFRICAN CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES, 1968 PREAMBLE: We the Heads of State and Government of Independent African 3.12 IN lI NAI I( )N,N1. WILD1,1)1 1;. L States, Artie 1/ FULLY CONSCIOULS that soil, water, flora and faunal resources FUNDAIMENTAL PRINCIPLE constitute a capital of vital imp3otance to mankind; rhe Contracting States shall undertake to adopt the measures to CONFIRMING, as we accepted upon declaring our adherence to ensure conservation, utilization and development of soil, water, flora the Charter of the Organization of African Unity, that we know that and faunal resources in accordance with scientific principles and it is our duty 'to harness the natural and human resources of our with due regard to the best interests of the people. continent for the total advancement or our peoples in spheres of human endeavour"; FULLY CONSCIOUS of the ever-growing importance of natural A TIck III resources from an economic, nutritional, scientiric, educational. DEFINITIONS cultural and aesthetic point of view; For pur-poses of the present Convention, the meaning of the CONSCIOUS of the dangers which threaten some of these following expressions shall be as defined below: irreplaceable assets; 1. 'Natural Resources" means renewable resources, that is soil, ACCEPTING that the utilization of the natural resources must n aim at satisfying the needs of man according to the carrying capacity water, ora and fauna. ol the environment; 2. 'Specimen" means an individual example of a species of wild DESIROUS of undertaking individual and joint action for the animal or wild plant or part of a wild plant. conservation, utilization and development of these assets by establishing and maintaining their rational utilization for the present 3. "Trophy' means any dead animal specimen or part thereof and future welfare of mankind; whether included in a manufactured or processed object or otherwise dealt withi, unless it has lost its original identity; also nests, CONVINCED that one Of the most appropriate means Of eggs and eggshells. achieving this end is to bring into force a convention; HAVE AGREED as follows: 4. "Conservation area' means any protected natural resource area, whether it be a strict natural reserve, a national park or a special reserve; Artic a) 'strict nature reserve" means an area: The Contracting States hereby establish an African Convention (i) under State control and the boundaries of which may e' > on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. not be altered nor any portion alienated except by the m e competent legislative authority, 0 Z (ii) throughout which any form of hunting or fishing, any