UNESCO declares Lake Bosomtwe a Biosphere Reserve
The Man and Biosphere Programme was created by UNESCO in the early 1970s as an intergovernmental scientific endeavor to improve relations between people around the world and their natural environment. Biosphere Reserves are places for learning about sustainable development aiming to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with the sustainable use of natural resources. New reserves are designated each year by the International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme, which brings together elected representatives of 34 UNESCO Member States.
This year, the International Co-coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO announced 20 new sites to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves at its recent meeting in Lima, the capital of Peru on 18th and 19th March.
Lake Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region, Ghana
Joining these globally recognized network of Biospheres Reserves this year is Lake Bosomtwe, situated in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and one of six meteoritic lakes in the World. The southernmost section of the site overlaps with the northern section of the Bosomtwe Range Forest Reserve creating a combination of forest, wetland and mountain ecosystems. The biosphere reserve sustains 35 tree species, including some used for timber. The site is also home to a great diversity of wildlife and to a human population of over 50,000 inhabitants whose main economic activities are farming, fishing and tourism as the lake is a major national tourist destination. The area is widely used for research focusing primarily on climate change, as well as environmental education for schools and universities.
A Rocha Ghana is proud to be associated with a UNESCO funded project that led to the achievement of this important milestone. We also salute five other partner implementing agencies such as Water Research Institute of Ghana, Forest Research Institute of Ghana, Friends of the Earth, Intelligence Nature International and the Man and Biosphere Committee-Ghana for working with the support of local authorities (District Assemblies) and Chiefs of communities around the lake to achieve this new status.
A Rocha Ghana has been working to support livelihoods whiles promoting sound conservation values geared towards sustainable development in the Lake Bosomtwe landscape since 2012. We wish to acknowledge the dedicated work of Mr. Prosper Antwi Bosiako, the Southern Sector Project Manager- A Rocha Ghana and his team for the great work done to merit this win for God’s Creation.