A total of 425 hectares of land depleted following some environmental unfriendly activities, such as illegal mining, otherwise known as "galamsey", indiscriminate tree felling, sand winning, among oth­ers, have been restored.Thanks to the implementation of the Landscapes and Environ­mental Agility Across the Nation (LEAN) project by World Vision Ghana, an international Not-for-profit making organisation.The LEAN project, sponsored by the European Union (EU), has trained 500 Community Fire volunteers and 500 lead farmers on farmer-managed natural re­generation (FMNR) concept in 25 communities in the Kassena-Nan­kana West District of the Upper East Region.Some of the beneficiary com­munities were Saaka, Badunu,Cha­nia, Nania, Babile, Baloo, Kajelo, Batiu, Kanania, Nayemnia, and Gweni.Speaking to Journalists on the impact of the project on the lives of the people at Navio last Satur­day, Anas Abdul-Nashiru Wechu, a farmer, said the FMNR concept, one of four thematic areas of the LEAN project, had lessened the aged-old phenomenon of climate change and contributed massively to reduce poverty in the commu­nity.According to him, most eco­nomic trees, such as the blackber­ry, redberry, shea nut, and baobab, among others had been protected, with many other residents benefit­ing from bee keeping."In the Navio Electoral Area, three people have been selected from each community to partake in the training organised on how to keep bees in their hives in the forest reserves."They have been trained on how to prevent bush fires, and in addition, gave us beehives which has become a major economic venture among both the youth and middle-class in the area", he stated.Chairman for the LEAN project at the Boani/Banyono Electoral Area, Bismark Kwotuah, was full of praises to the project, stating that most communities never experienced environmental degra­dation two years after the project implementation.The Assemblyman for the Boani/Banyono Electoral Area, Frederick Wugaa Awovire, noted that: "You can see we have had rains early this year, as compared to the previous years where we suffered serious dry spell, follow­ing the persistent cutting down of trees."The EU LEAN project has provided farmers here with basic farm tools, including cutlasses, sickles, pruning knives, hand gloves, and indeed, we have been able to manage the shrubs which have grown into trees", the As­semblyman indicated.LEAN is a four-year project under the EU Action on climate resilience and landscape resto­ration.The project, which target­ed 6,000 beneficiaries in the deprived communities in the Kassena-Nananka West District, aimed to contribute to the national efforts of conserving biodiversity, improving livelihoods of small­holder farmers, increasing climate change resilience and reducing emissions from land use changes in the savannah, high forest and transition zones of Ghana.Joseph Edwin Yelkabong, Man­ager for the EU LEAN project, World Vision Ghana, said the implementation of the project was a consortium: World Vision Gha­na, Tropenbos Ghana, Ecorecare Ghana, with Rainforest as the lead implementer.He further stated that in the northern or savannah landscape, World Vision had implemented the project in the West Gonja District of the Savannah Region and the Kassena-Kananka West District of the Upper East Region, identifying the thematic areas of the project as; Landscape Gover­nance Structures, Increase forest protection and climate resilience, Livelihood improvement of small­holders' farmers, and Sustainable project management and upscale. FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, NAVIO