Goziir community maintains bushfire prevention for over 40 years

The people of Goziir in the Nandom Municipality of Ghana’s Upper West Region have maintained a community-wide culture of bushfire prevention and biodiversity protection since 1980.

This initiative began under the leadership of the late Chief Naa Leo Aamwaa Yiryel II and 10 other elders. The community established a no-bushfire system to ensure year-round pasture for livestock, preventing cattle from wandering long distances or falling prey to theft.

Naa Aamwaa Simon Yiryel III, the current Chief of Goziir, explains that the community relies on traditional sanctions and collective responsibility rather than official municipal bylaws. Residents who deliberately set fires are summoned before the chief and elders to face punishment. In the past, offenders were required to carry large stones from hills to pile as a deterrent.

This system has improved agricultural yields by allowing decomposing grass to add organic matter to the soil, which reduces the need for chemical fertilisers. Local officials and leaders are now looking to replicate this model in other areas. Gaeten Bomansaan Baligi, an agriculture officer, suggested that the Department of Agriculture could support other communities through farmer education and study tours to Goziir.

Jonas Kpierekoh, the Upper West Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Authority, noted that success in other areas depends on disciplined leadership and the fair enforcement of rules regardless of social connections. Sebastian Gan, the local assembly member, asked the Nandom Municipal Assembly to provide development support to recognise the community’s efforts.

In response, Municipal Chief Executive Anthony Ziniyel said the assembly is considering incentives, such as annual awards and infrastructure projects, to encourage other communities to adopt similar conservation practices.