Some of these communities include Achichire, Sureso, Pebaseman, Gonokrom, Donkorkrom, Kamaso, Essandokrom, Aboagyekrom, Sikanti, Supanspo, Akakpokrom, Adobeakrom, and Kamaboi.

Delivering his welcome address during the inaugural ceremony, the District Chief Executive for Amenfi West, Mr. George Agyiri said our natural resources such as our water bodies and forests are the main dependent of the good people and communities that live within and around our forests and rivers in both Amenfi West and Central districts. It was upon this that the president of the republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo was doing all that necessary to protect, preserve and reclaim our water bodies and forests that illegal galamseyers are destroying so that the next generation wouldn’t come to blame us for not protecting our natural resources.

Mr. Agyiri said, every association is formed based on some cores values, mottos, slogans, maxims and dictums that is always used to ensuring that their aims are achieved. He said, the by-laws of CREMA is inculcated in the district assemblies by-laws of both Amenfi West and Central districts and have passed and gazette so they should always remember that they full backing of both district assemblies to help protect our water bodies and forests.

The DCE commended Codesult, a local non-governmental organization operating in Amenfi West district for partnering with other agencies and organizations such forestry commission (wildlife division),international Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN),BUSAC, Ministry of Foreign Affair of Denmark (DANIDA) in bringing CVREMA to both Amenfi West and Central districts.

In a speech read of behalf of the Executive Director of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission by Dr. Andrew Kyei Agyare said Achichire,Sureso, Pebaseman Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) covers encompasses about 28 community that host rich and diverse biodiversity that forms the basis of the social -cultural and economic prospects of the local communities. In the process of utilizing the resource to meet a range of social-cultural and economic needs of the people, the natural resources have been severely depleted. This raises serious concern for future economic development and sustained livelihood of the local communities. It is upon this that Achichire, Sureso, Pebaseman CREMA has been adopted by the international Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN) as part of a larger landscape for enhance governance and management of biodiversity and efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation (REDD +)

Dr. Kyei Agyare said, the decline in natural resources, wildlife for instance is in part due to factors such as anthropogenic drivers such as bush fires, shifting cultivation with short fallow periods leading to loss of soil fertility and hence clearing of more land leading to diminution of wildlife habitat,the nature status of natural resources that has failed to create an incentive for responsible use and management by those living with these resources and society at large and previous natural resource management system that have relied on the state to restrict and control access have been unable to contain unsustainable uses especially outside of forest reserves and protected areas.

He said CREMA has great potential as a good governance mechanism for natural resources management and climate change mitigation. It can generate livelihood benefits for small -holder farmers and forest users and can mediate a balance between conversation and development but this will depend upon the willingness of local government in particular to support it with full political backings and support them as a legitimate natural resource governance and management mechanism.

Speaking on the theme promoting citizens’ involvement in governance and sustainable management of natural resources in Wassa Amenfi, Reduce Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) Project Assistant for International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN) ,Madam Dorcas Gyimah Owusu said Asan organization with a MISSION ‘’ to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable”, the International Union of Conversation of Nature (IUCN) was privileged and honored to associate with community members who have willingly come together to protect and conserve natural resources through avenues such the establishment of Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA).

Madam Gyimah Owusu said, CREMA’s present a key mechanism for fostering local community engagement in natural resources management, reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) especially in the off-reserve areas.

Recognizing the important roles CREMA can play in natural resource management within the landscape, IUCN in close partnership with Codesult Network and Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, supported development of a comprehensive five year action plan to provide an operational strategy for revamping the governance structure of the CREMA. The action plan is providing guidance for the sustainable operations of the CREMA, she added.

The Divisional Chief of Achichire, Nana Okofo Asafo Agyei II said natural resource management deals with managing the way in which people and natural landscapes interact. This brings together land use planning, water management, biodiversity conservation and the future sustainability of industries like agriculture, mining, tourism, fisheries and forestry.

It recognizes that people and their livelihoods rely on the health and productivity of our landscapes and their actions as stewards of the land play a critical role in maintaining this health and productivity, he bemoaned.