Abstract:
The biodiversity conservation projects that were implemented at Gomoa
Okyereko and Gomoa Adam in Gomoa East and Gomoa West Districts in the
Central Region were to conserve degraded forests in the two communities. The
main problems had to do with using chemicals in hunting of wildlife, regular
bush fires, pollution of water bodies, indiscriminate cutting of trees and frequent
wind damages. This study therefore assessed the impact of the project
intervention in the light of the problems and the objectives set before the
implementation of projects and how they were able to solve or reduce the
problems identified.
Purposive sampling method was used to select the communities
involved in the study. Proportionate allocation was done to each category of the
target population to get the views of the people who were engaged in the various
activities. Simple random sampling method was used to select the respondents.
The allocated number to each stratum was subjected to the lottery technique
until the required sample size was obtained. Data was analysed using Statistical
Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 17 for frequencies and
percentages.
The results revealed that there was an extensive awareness creation in
all the participating and nearby communities on environmental conservation
and the ecological training centre which was built has been abandoned.
It was recommended that, the Okyereko Co-operative Afforestation
Society and the Global Habitat for Homeless with the help of the sampled
communities should develop their own demonstration and teaching farms to
teach farmers since the agro-forestry demonstration farm was never done.
