Bui Power wants more funding to sustain forest resources programme
The Bui Power Authority (BPA), a power utility company has set its sight on intensifying its Forest Resources Enhancement Programme (FREP), aimed at promoting reforestation/afforestation activities and conservation of the gallery forest /savannah woodlots within the Black Volta Basin and other BPA Operational areas.
However, they are being constrained with funding, according to Mr.Chrisentus Kuunifaa, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer [Samuel Kofi Dzamesi], on the sidelines at COP27 event in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt indicated the company wish to do more and “is happy to partner donor agencies to raise the needed funding in achieving their targets”.
According to Mr. Kuunifaa, they are committed to supporting Ghana to achieve Energy Transition to Net Zero Emission and the NDCs set, and “we are open to partner academic institutions to undertake research and development activities in alternate cleaner energy solutions relevant to Ghana.”
The Bui Power Forest Resources Enhancement Programme (FREP) is a flagship programme designed to promote reforestation/afforestation activities and conservation of the gallery forest /savannah woodlots within the Black Volta Basin and other BPA Operational areas.
This is cognizance of the imminent of climate change, evaporation, over exploitation of the forest resources. The FREP was therefore mooted to combat these menaces.
The objective of the FREP is to create carbon sinks to mitigate GHG Emissions, to control and protect the reservoir shoreline against soil erosion, siltation, sedimentation and depletion of vegetative cover within the Black Volta basin.
To enhance sustainable utilization of forest resources within Black Volta basin and the acquired land in terms of medicinal use, commercial timber and fuel wood, to build climate change resilience to improve precipation,microclimate, and provide wind breaks.
Key initiatives successfully undertaken comprise; sivilcultural practices within the established plantations 423 acres (171.3ha), bushfire control within the plantations and gallery forest, protection of gallery forest around the dam enclave and within the Black Volta basin, identification of all indigenous tree species within the enclave for preservation, formulation of a policy to protect some 26 indigenous Economic Tree Species within the Bui Enclave.
Already, BPA has expanded its FREP by a 1,000 Acres (405Ha) in 2022, which is expected to be continued yearly.
The Bui catchment area is endowed with some indigenous economic tree species forming a gallery forest and savannah woodlots within the enclave.
More than 26 indigenous economic, medicinal trees species including African, birch baobab, cassia,dawadawa,fig tree, mahogany,ebony,black plum,shea and kapok are being protected.
Mr. Kuunifaa said the forest programme would help protect the Bui Dam reservoir that was being threatened by increase in temperature -a climate change impact.
The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP27, is the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference.
Mr. Kuunifaa explained that the rise in temperature by about one degree over decades causes surface water to evaporate rapidly, especially during the dry season but “the forest vegetation will slow down the rate of evaporation down so there will be water to generate power”
He said the project would help create carbon sinks to remove “bad air” and build climate change resilience to improve precipitation and microclimate that was tied in Ghana’s climate plan.
The programme, the CEO said would also help control and protect the reservoir shoreline against soil erosion,siltation,sedimentation and depletion of vegetative cover within the Black Volta basin.
He stated that BPA was committed to supporting Ghana to ahieve Energy Transition to Net Zero Emission and the Nationally Determined Contributions to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the impact of climate change.
Mr.Kuunifaa emphasized that climate crisis was undeniable and that BPA was embarking on initiatives under its 2020 expanded mandate to develop Renewable and Clean Energy Resources.
These include , 50 Megawatt peak Solar Plant with another 200 Megawatt under installation at Bui and Yendi, a 45Kilowatt Micro-Hydropower Plant at Tsatsadu-Volta region anda 75Kilowatt plant to be added later.
Other on-going developments include acquisition of some additional solar sites, feasibility studies in the Wli waterfalls,western rivers, wind, biomass.
