Ghana Biodiversity Assessment and Planning
To obtain environmental information on an area within Ghana that is being explored for potential bauxite mining, Alcoa engaged Conservation International (CI) to conduct a biodiversity survey in June 2006.
A team of six international scientists, six Ghanaian scientists, five Ghanaian post-graduate students, and five field assistants conducted the survey in the Atewa forest reserve. The survey focused on eight key indicators of biodiversity health in the reserve—plants, insects (dragonflies, butterflies, ants, katydids), fish, amphibians, birds, bats, large mammals, and primates. All of the participating scientists remained in the forest for the entire 19 day survey to take inventory of both the nocturnal and diurnal activities of the species.
The assessment’s objective was to obtain current information on endemic species, threatened species, and species of great significance to local communities to provide scientific information for decision making in the event the bauxite deposits in the Atewa forest reserve would be mined.
While the survey showed the overall quality of habitat in the forest was quite good, the scientists observed it to be under pressure from illegal timber harvesting, bushmeat hunting, and mining exploration activities. A number of rare, threatened, and endangered species were found, as well as one butterfly species new to Atewa and one dragonfly species new to science.
Following the biodiversity survey, Alcoa, CSI, and other partners conducted a workshop to discuss the findings of the survey with chiefs, elders, and community members of the Akyem Abuakwa traditional area. The workshop was chaired by the chief of Asiakwa and attended by 70 other participants, including politicians, government agencies, and local nongovernmental organizations.
View a video on a similar biodiversity assessment conducted in Guinea
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See a video of the Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) in action
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