EU Injects €2.4m Into New Forest Restoration Drive in Ghana
The European Union has announced a new €2.4 million investment to support large-scale forest restoration in Ghana, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable land management and climate resilience.
At a ceremony held at the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) in Kumasi, Ms. Paulina Różycka, Sustainable Head of Infrastructure Development at the EU Delegation to Ghana, formally launched four landscape restoration projects that will be rolled out across the High Forest and Savanna ecological zones.
Ms. Różycka described Ghana’s forest ecosystems as “lifelines of biodiversity, climate resilience and economic opportunity,” but warned that increasing pressure from human activities continues to threaten their survival.
“Forest restoration is no longer optional. It is a global responsibility,” she said. “These grants are designed to support practical, community-led solutions that protect the environment while improving livelihoods.”
The beneficiary organisations—Proforest, World Vision, Nature and Development Foundation, and Goshen Global Vision—will work with local partners to restore 5,000 hectares of degraded forest land and support 20,000 farmers and rural residents. The projects will promote agroforestry, natural regeneration, and nature-based enterprises such as beekeeping, while also prioritising the inclusion of women and youth.
According to Ms. Różycka, the initiative is firmly aligned with Ghana’s forest sector policies and the national “Tree for Life” campaign. She also highlighted 2025 as a landmark year for the sector, marked by the start of FLEGT licensing for timber exports—an achievement that signals Ghana’s progress in forest law enforcement and sustainable governance.
The grant scheme forms part of the EU’s Sustainable Forest and Cocoa Programme, implemented in partnership with the European Forest Institute (EFI), which supports climate-smart agriculture and resilient landscapes across the country.
In a welcome address, Dr. Mrs. Lucy Amissah, Deputy Director of FORIG, praised the EU and EFI for their continued collaboration with Ghana’s scientific and forestry institutions. She noted that the launch underscores the nation’s determination to confront deforestation, restore degraded ecosystems, and strengthen rural livelihoods.
“Ghana’s forests are under severe pressure from mining, agriculture, logging and wildfires,” she said. “These projects represent another significant step toward our shared objective of protecting and restoring our forest landscapes.”
She encouraged participants to take advantage of FORIG’s research facilities and expressed confidence that the projects would contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s long-term restoration goals.
Ms. Różycka closed the ceremony with thanks to EFI, FORIG, the grantee organisations and the Government of Ghana, describing the collective effort as a “partnership rooted in hope, resilience and sustainable progress.”
The four restoration projects are expected to run until 2027.
