Four decades of biodiversity conservation: Goziir calls for greater support to sustain long-standing environmental efforts

For more than four decades, since 1980, the people of Goziir in the Nandom Municipality of the Upper West Region have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to environmental conservation by maintaining a strong community-wide culture of bushfire prevention and protecting local biodiversity.

As a predominantly farming community, Goziir is located in the western corridor of the Nandom Municipality and is widely recognised for its environmental preservation efforts and intensive agricultural activities.

The initiative, championed by the late Chief of Goziir, Naa Leo Aamwaa Yiryel II, and 10 other elders, has become an exemplary model of how traditional leadership, community participation, local rules and collective responsibility can contribute to sustainable land management and environmental protection.

One of the primary reasons behind the initiative was to prevent livestock, particularly cattle, from migrating long distances in search of pasture, sometimes failing to return to the community or falling prey to theft by unidentified persons.

The late chief and his elders therefore introduced a no-bushfire system to ensure year-round pasture for livestock, encouraging the animals to remain within the community.

The community's experience offers valuable lessons for other areas in the Nandom Municipality, the Upper West Region and Ghana as a whole, particularly as bushfires continue to threaten vegetation, soil fertility, agricultural production, livestock and biodiversity.

During a visit to Goziir, I engaged the community's traditional leader, an agriculture officer, residents, the assembly member, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and the Upper West Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to explore the achievements of the conservation initiative, the challenges involved in sustaining it and the support required to encourage other communities to adopt similar practices.

Although the initiative is rooted in local traditions, its benefits extend beyond Goziir, demonstrating the potential of community-led conservation to strengthen climate resilience, promote sustainable agriculture and protect natural resources.

The current Chief of Goziir, Naa Aamwaa Simon Yiryel III, identified community participation, traditional sanctions and collective responsibility as key factors behind the community's long-standing success in preventing bushfires.

Speaking during the visit, Naa Yiryel explained that the community had developed and enforced its own rules against bush burning rather than relying solely on bylaws enacted by the Nandom Municipal Assembly.

Under these traditional arrangements, anyone found deliberately setting fire to the bush is summoned before the chief and his elders. He recalled that, in the past, offenders were required to carry large stones from the hills and pile them up as a deterrent to others.

The chief stressed that the success of the initiative depended not simply on imposing rules but also on ensuring that residents understood the harmful effects of bushfires and the collective benefits of protecting the environment.

“The people must understand why we have to protect our environment. When they understand the benefits, they are more willing to support the initiative,” Naa Aamwaa Simon Yiryel III emphasised.

He noted that residents who understood the importance of conservation were more responsive when called upon to help prevent or control fires, including through signals sounded at night.

The initiative has also contributed to improved livestock management, better agricultural yields and stronger social cohesion.

Preventing bushfires helps keep cattle within the community rather than allowing them to wander in search of pasture. Meanwhile, decomposing grass adds organic matter to the soil, improving its fertility and reducing farmers' dependence on expensive chemical fertilisers.

Beyond these economic benefits, the shared commitment has strengthened community unity. The no-bushfire rule covers the entire community, alongside an additional protected forest area where tree felling and bush burning are strictly prohibited.

An agriculture officer at the Nandom Municipal Assembly, Gaeten Bomansaan Baligi, has called for the replication of Goziir's zero-bushfire model in other communities to strengthen environmental protection and climate resilience.

Mr Baligi said the Department of Agriculture could support such efforts through farmer education and capacity-building programmes in climate-smart and conservation agriculture.

He also suggested organising study tours to Goziir to enable farmers from other communities to observe its sustainable farming practices firsthand.

While noting that Goziir had demonstrated that farming could thrive without routine bush burning, he expressed concern about post-harvest bush burning in other parts of the municipality and stressed the need for intensified public education to change attitudes.

The Upper West Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Mr Jonas Kpierekoh, drawing on his knowledge of Goziir's conservation model, cautioned that although the initiative had national potential, weak leadership, favouritism, jealousy and greed could undermine similar efforts elsewhere.

Drawing on accounts dating back to around 1955, Mr Kpierekoh emphasised that sustainable conservation required disciplined leadership, as demonstrated by Goziir, and the fair enforcement of rules, irrespective of an offender's social connections or family background.

He also warned that jealousy and the desire for personal recognition could create conflicts, citing instances in other communities where conservation initiatives had been undermined because individuals prioritised personal recognition over collective benefits.

Despite these challenges, he noted that Goziir's protected areas also served as important sources of traditional medicinal herbs.

Staneslos Nasaal, a former Agriculture Officer for Nandom, highlighted the importance of public education, community mobilisation and volunteer fire teams in sustaining conservation efforts.

He explained that changing attitudes required patience and continuous engagement, noting that early adopters, such as those behind Goziir's initiative, played a crucial role in influencing others by demonstrating the benefits of conservation.

He also highlighted the success of training volunteer fire groups in collaboration with the Ghana National Fire Service.

The Assembly Member for the Goziir Electoral Area, Sebastian Gan, has appealed to the Nandom Municipal Assembly and relevant government agencies to provide greater support for the community's conservation efforts and help formalise its local rules.

Mr Gan said maintaining a bushfire-free environment required constant vigilance, particularly among the youth. He recalled a late-night mobilisation on December 31 to combat a bushfire with support from the Ghana National Fire Service.

He urged the authorities to provide tangible development support to recognise the community's decades of commitment to environmental protection.

In response, the Municipal Chief Executive for Nandom, Anthony Ziniyel, said the Assembly was exploring possible incentives, including annual awards and development projects, to encourage other communities to emulate Goziir's example.

Although the Assembly does not have a dedicated fund for the initiative, the MCE indicated that a community's environmental record could be considered when allocating development projects, such as school blocks and other infrastructure through the Assembly Common Fund.

He, however, clarified that the proposed incentives were still under consideration and would be subject to the Assembly's standard planning and budgetary processes.

On the issue of discipline and sanctions against offenders, Mr Ziniyel recounted an incident in which he and his elder brother were falsely accused of setting fire to a section of the bush in Goziir.

"In fact, I recounted this day with pain. Because I was in the company of my elder brother, travelling along the road, and we realised that a portion of the bush was burning. Right there, some unidentified people quickly ran to the Goziir chief's palace and lodged a complaint against my brother and me. To the surprise of both of us, we were severely punished and made to carry stones, blocks, among others. After the punishment, my brother ran down south and is currently based there. He only visits occasionally," the MCE lamented.

The Goziir experience underscores how community ownership, traditional leadership, public education, fair enforcement of local rules and collective action can drive long-term environmental conservation.

As Ghana continues to pursue climate resilience and sustainable agriculture, Goziir stands as a shining example in the sub-region of how grassroots initiatives can complement broader national environmental goals.

However, sustaining and expanding the model will require stronger institutional support, deliberate investment, public education and incentives to encourage other communities to embrace similar conservation practices.