Nviron Hive, Tree Aid to fund 200,000 tree regeneration initiative in Yendi

Nviron Hive and Tree Aid have launched a major environmental restoration initiative in the Northern Region aimed at planting and regenerating 200,000 trees across 1,300 hectares in the Yendi Municipality.

The initiative, which is being implemented through a newly formed Coalition of Businesses, seeks to fund the planting of 100,000 trees while regenerating an additional 100,000 through assisted natural regeneration as part of efforts to combat deforestation and climate change in Ghana.

The programme comes at a time when Ghana continues to face a worsening forest crisis. According to figures released by the organisers, the country lost 77,000 hectares of natural forest in 2024 alone, with annual national forest loss estimated at 315,000 hectares.

The initiative is expected to support the government’s “Tree for Life Campaign” as well as Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Under the programme, ten communities within the Yendi Municipality will benefit from climate resilience and livelihood interventions designed to improve environmental sustainability and economic opportunities for residents.

The organisers say the project will create more than 250 seasonal jobs while training about 1,250 farmers in climate smart agricultural practices.

In total, 1,550 people are expected to benefit directly from the initiative, with an estimated 3,000 others benefiting indirectly through economic and environmental improvements.

As part of the programme, ten Village Tree Enterprises will be established to support groups of women and youth involved in the processing of non-timber forest products and agricultural produce.

The organisers indicated that 70 percent of these enterprises will be led by women in a bid to promote gender inclusion and economic empowerment.

Participating farming households are also projected to increase their incomes by between 20 and 25 percent through agroforestry value chains involving shea, honey and moringa production as well as inclusive agricultural marketing systems.

Speaking on the initiative, Co-Founder of Nviron Hive, Otema Yirenkyi, said the coalition was formed to help reverse Ghana’s growing environmental degradation and encourage private sector participation in climate action.

“Ghana loses 77,000 hectares of forest every year. The Coalition of Businesses exists because we refuse to let that define our country's future. What we are building in Yendi is proof that Ghana's private sector can and must lead on climate action,” he stated.

Tree Aid, the implementing partner for the programme, brings nearly four decades of experience in dryland restoration across Africa.

Since 1994, the organisation says it has planted and grown more than 11 million trees in northern Ghana and brought over 7,853 hectares of land under sustainable management in the country.

Globally, Tree Aid has supported the sustainable management of about 264,000 hectares of land.

The organisation currently works in 511 communities across Ghana, with 13,930 households directly participating in its programmes and more than 77,000 individuals benefiting indirectly.

Tree Aid Country Director for Ghana, Jonathan Anecham Naaba, said long-term support for communities remains essential in reversing environmental degradation and poverty in northern Ghana.

“Thirty years of working in northern Ghana has shown us what communities can achieve when they have the right support. This Coalition unlocks the scale we need to truly turn the tide on land loss, on poverty, and on climate vulnerability,” he said.

The organisers are encouraging more businesses and institutions to join the coalition to expand the impact of the initiative across the country.