Ghana

Ghana

Tropenbos International Ghana aims at bridging the gap between forest policy, management and science; providing a forum for discussing forest issues; and carrying out relevant research and training. The objective of the programme is that forestry actors in Ghana deploy sound and adequate information for poverty reduction policies that improve forest-dependent livelihoods and increase forest cover and services in rural areas.

The TBI Ghana programme focuses on the broad theme of forest dependent livelihoods in the High Forest Zone of Ghana, with special emphasis on governance for sustainable forest-related livelihoods. To this end, illegal logging, equity in forest benefit sharing and community rights and responsibilities in forest management are given attention.

Linking local communities and forest concession holders to produce legal lumber for the domestic market

Supply of illegal timber to the domestic market has become one of the main forest governance issues in Ghana today. Although outlawed in 1998, illegal chainsaw milling (CSM) has become the major supplier (about 84%) of timber to the domestic market. Discussions on chainsaw milling have become an important part of the EU-Ghana Voluntary Partnership Agreement since the country cannot fully meet the legality assurance aspect of the agreement without adequately addressing supply of illegal timber to the domestic market.

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Securing legal domestic lumber supply through multi-stakeholder dialogue in Ghana

In spite of being banned in 1998, chainsaw milling continues to be a major supplier of Ghana’s domestic lumber needs. Chainsaw milling helps to sustain rural economies and livelihoods, and banning it fuels illegal practices and conflict. Chainsaw milling challenges Ghana’s ambitions to develop a legal and sustainable forestry sector. Addressing the issue in an equitable way will reduce conflicts in the forest sector, diminish forest degradation and support rural livelihoods.

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Forest Governance and Conflict Management: Understanding forest-related livelihood conflicts from different stakeholders’ perspectives.

The 1994 forestry policy in Ghana gave ‘birth' to the concept of collaboration and decentralisation, with the hope that involvement of all stakeholders and the devolution of power to the lower levels could contribute to sustainable forest management and improvement in forest governance and livelihoods, especially at the community level. True to this, government, through the sector ministry and the forestry commission as well as civil society and the donor community have pursued several programs (establishment of CBOs-CFCS, CBAGs etc, boundary cleaning contract with forest fringe communities, Modified taungya systems etc) all aimed at promoting good forestry governance and livelihood innovations.

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Country programmes

Linking local communities and forest concession holders to produce legal lumber for the domestic market

Securing legal domestic lumber supply through multi-stakeholder dialogue in Ghana

Forest Governance and Conflict Management: Understanding forest-related livelihood conflicts from different stakeholders’ perspectives.

News

TBI Ghana supports the revision of the Adwenase Forest Management Plan

Chainsaw operators gear up for tree plantation establishment

Mills offer hope for legal lumber supply

Publications

Tropenbos International Ghana Newsletter - June 2013

Negotiating the supply of legal timber to the domestic market in Ghana: Explaining policy change intent using the Advocacy Coalition Framework

International forest governance regimes: Reconciling concerns on timber legality and forest-based livelihoods