The Kalakpa Resource Reserve, which stretches from Abutia-Kloe in the Ho West District to the Adaklu District, is home to the Galapagos Tortoise, Red River Cat, Genet Cat, and Tree Hyrax, varieties of monkeys, duikers, pangolin, python and a wide variety of butterflies.
The trees in the reserve include Odum, Wawa, Cola Gigantia, Bacco Baku, Ceiba Petandre, and many more.
For decades, it attracted tourists from far and near, making it a sterling holiday destination.
However, the 325-kilometre square reserve is now under constant invasion by recalcitrant individuals who hunt in the reserve with impunity, posing serious threats to the animals.
The activities of some settler groups in the reserve, who also undertake lumbering and charcoal burning, are not helping matters for the reserve.
Delegation
Unhappy with this trend, a large delegation of chiefs from Abutia, led by the Paramount Chief, Togbe Abutia Kodzo Gidi V, on Monday, September 15, made a distress call to the Ho Residency for the intervention of the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, in the matter to save the reserve from further degradation.
A bird and an antelope in the reserve
Togbe Gidi told the regional minister that swift measures were needed to save the Kalakpa Resource Reserve from further devastation by encroachers
He revealed that some of the encroachers often attacked personnel of the Forestry Commission assigned to protect the reserve.
The paramount chief’s concerns were corroborated by the Park Manager of the Kalakpa Resource Reserve, John Atingah, who said the situation in the reserve now was getting out of hand.
“The solution now goes beyond the Forestry Commission as an institution to save the reserve; so we need support from other institutions as well,” he added.
Plans underway
The regional minister said plans were underway to equip and re-train personnel of the Forestry Commission, and involve other stakeholders to address the problem.
He said Abutia was strategically located, for which reason, the government had laudable development plans for the area.
In that regard, he said, work would soon resume on the neglected Sokode-Abutia-Juapong road, and other roads in the communities to boost the local economy.
He said the area also had large tracts of land for commercial farming, which were of interest to investors.
Mr Gunu, therefore, entreated the chiefs and people of Abutia to register their lands and rid the area of land disputes to build investor confidence.
Meanwhile, he said plans were far advanced to extend reliable and potable water to Abutia to relieve the people of the inadequate water supply situation.
