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Exploring governance innovations for improved Forest and tree-related livelihoods in Ghana’s high forest zone |
 One of the main goals of establishing and managing the forests in Ghana by governments and individuals is to have a sustainable resource that can provide livelihoods. However, the various forest dependent livelihoods (FDLs) in Ghana, which should act as sources of income and motivation for sustainable management and conservation of the forests, are not well developed. This is evident by the fact that there is lack of common understanding of what constitutes FDLs, forests are not making impacts on local economies and there is lack of understanding on contribution of forests to livelihoods. In addition, the existing forest based livelihoods are not sustainable and are also characterised by poor returns, making them unattractive. Clearly, there is no optimum use of forest and tree resources to improve livelihoods and poverty.
This project seeks to generate knowledge to help address the issue by examining the role of forest governance in the context of governance innovations, contributing to improved forest and tree-related livelihoods and poverty reduction in forest fringe communities.
Specific objectives
The project specifically seeks to:
- clarify the governance arrangements that relate to forest and tree use
- analyse forest governance innovation processes
- analyse the effect of selected forest and tree governance innovations
- assess how forest management objectives influence forest governance innovations and livelihoods of forest fringe communities
- identify further governance innovations required to enhance forest and tree-based livelihoods.
Duration
Three (3) years (1st March, 2008, and will expire on 30th March, 2011,)
Expected Outputs
The project is expected to produce the following knowledge and information (outputs) to help take better decisions on forest development:
- Processes involved in accomplishing the desired governance innovations and their driving forces
- Best practices in forest governance innovations that have gained acceptance among stakeholders as effective sustainable livelihood strategy
- Ways of improving local peoples' capital assets (natural, social, human, financial, and physical capital)
- Interests of the local people engaged on the various schemes of reforestation
- Changes in forest policy and measures (laws and regulations) required to address interests of local people
- Governance arrangements (policies, laws, regulations and institutions) that relate to forest and tree resource use in Ghana's HFZ clarified
- Forest and tree-related livelihoods in Ghana's HFZ identified
- Governance innovations relating to forest and tree use and their effects on the livelihoods of forest fringe communities (FFCs)
- Various reforestation schemes in the HFZ and the extent to which they contribute to the livelihoods of FFCs identified
- Governance arrangements that hinder FFCs to fully benefit from forest and tree resources identified;
- How forest management objectives influence or affect forest governance innovations and livelihoods of forest fringe communities clarified
- Requirements for governance innovations that may lead to the realization of the full benefits from forest and tree resources identified.
Implementing partners
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