Forest communities in Ghana, other countries to benefit from AfDB’s $50m grant in 2012

Ghana, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been selected as pilot countries to benefit from the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Forest Investment Programme (FIP), starting next year 2012.

According to the Bank, the proposed design of the $50 million mechanism was approved by the FIP Trust Fund Committee at the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Governing Bodies meetings in Washington from October 31 to November 4, 2011.

“In the coming year (2012), pilot countries of the Climate Investment Fund’s (CIF) “Forest Investment Programme (FIP), including Burkina Faso, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo, can expect to see additional support for their REDD+ activities in the form of a Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities,” said AfDB in a statement on November 23, 2011.

This is to help enhance the capacity of indigenous peoples and local communities to participate fully, effectively and continuously in FIP pilot country REDD+ activities, the Bank said.

It added that a global component will focus on knowledge management, bringing together indigenous peoples groups and local communities from FIP pilot and other countries to exchange good practices and lessons learned on how to effectively address REDD+.

The mechanism is the culmination of more than two years of consultations among indigenous peoples groups, local communities, the CIF Administrative Unit and multilateral development banks, including the African Development Bank, the statement indicated.

By Ekow Quandzie