What role does the forest play?
- It serves as a food basket, fruits, vegetables, cereal
- Maintenance of an ecological balance through the process of photosynthesis
- Plays a key role on rainfall pattern, intensity of rain and the distribution of rainfall
- Aesthetic value-minors oposa
- Source of plant medicine
- Wood for export and domestic use
Evolution of the forest policy
In the 20th century, the forest department was set up. The objectives of this department was to enable the colonial state to gain some control over the allocation of timber resources. The colonial masters were attracted by Ghana’s forest resource. They were therefore principally interested in regulating commercial species of trees. This was done by them primarily because at that time, they were the timber merchants and so wanted to preserve these species for their nationals –exportation. For the purpose of this regulation, around 1948, the Forestry Department was established. This was the first attempt of having a forestry policy but the focus was mainly on the exploitation of our timber resources. This continued until about the end of the 30’s. The forest ordinance was passed in 1927. The main objective of this ordinance was to allow the state to turn some of the land into reserves. This was to control the over-exploitation of timber resources. However, the converting on an area into a reserve did not necessarily mean that the state became the owner of the land.
In the 1940’s the colonial government sought to protect the timber resources. This was to ensure a constant and steady supply of the resources. This continued till independence.
From 1957, there was a major shift. The government found out that the forestry industry was dominated by foreigners. The policy was to promote indigenization and rationalization of the industry. The government felt that the economy was better of being in the control of the indigenes as to the foreigners. Indigenization started from the civil service. Expatriates were replaced with local people. Nkrumah tried to retrieve the concession taken by the foreigners and give it to the local people along with equipment and cash. Unfortunately, the policy failed. This was due to poor work attitude, poor education and other things which ultimately resulted in a collapse of the business. The Ghanaians resold their equipment and concession to the foreigners. The indigenization period run till 1970.
From 1957-1994, the various governments brought various pieces of legislation which dealt with eth management of forest resources. Eg. the Administration of Stool Lands Act, The State Lands Act under which the state could exercise its right of eminent domain converting the lands into forest reserves; the concession Act-regulating the grant of timber concessions; Timber Protection Law –made it an offence for timber to be felled without the approved license. etc.
During the 1980, the structural adjustment program came into being. Structural Adjustment Program (SAPs) were economic policies for developing countries that have been promoted by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the provision of loans conditional on the adoption of such policies. The World Bank had started to become conscious of environmental issues and its potential effects in the years to come. The economic recovery program was carried on. This was after the Acheampong era when the economy was in a complete mess. By 1984, an IMF package was signed. There was the infusion of sound environmental practices into financial decision making. The nation saw an integration of environmental considerations into forest governance. This was because of our interactions with the Bretton wood system.
By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ghana’s forests were under excessive exploitation, illegal harvesting led by chain saw operators was flourishing excessively and prescribed harvesting procedures were being flouted with impunity. Worst of all, forestry institutions had become demoralized and inefficient because of continued underfunding. Concerns and agitations from major stakeholders and growing global interests in forest loss culminated in the revision of the old forest policy and eventually, the new Forest and Wildlife policy in 1994. The overall aim of the Forest and Wildlife Policy, 1994, was conservation and sustainable development of the nation’s forest and wildlife for maintenance of environmental quality and perpetual flow of benefits to all parts of society. The policy was an overhaul of the legal regime and the institutional framework. The sector institutions were transformed into a corporate Forestry Commission in accordance with the 1992 constitution For example in the 1992 constitution provision was made for the establishment of natural resources commission and one of them was the forestry commission. In 1997, there was the timber resource management act which provided for penalties for infractions. In 1999, the forestry commission act was revised. Before 1999, the commission had separate divisions. After 1999, all these separate divisions are now put under one umbrella. The restructuring was to bring all the divisions into one umbrella as the divisions were competing with each other. This policy run till 2004.
The challenges and issues in the wildlife sector and the policy objectives of the forest and wildlife sector as it is in the 2012 forest and wildlife policy
The implementation of the 1994 policy with all the associated reforms could not halt the degradation in the forest resource base. Unfortunately, after almost two decades of implementing the policy, Ghana’s timber and non-timber forest resources are being overexploited and continue to decline both in quantity and quality. Illegal chainsaw and mining (galamsey) operations in forest areas have thrived over the years despite conscious national efforts to curb the situation in collaboration with the security agencies. Wood fuel productions especially in the fragile areas of the savanna regions have remained unsustainable whilst wild fires continue to be an annual occurrence in all the ecosystems.
In keeping with the objectives of the national development agenda, the forest and wildlife sector will have to explore new measures to halt, and reverse the pace of deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana
Challenges and Issues in the Forest and Wildlife Sector
- There is over exploitation of timber resources. Biodiversity loss is very high with more than 10 species projected to becoming extinct in less than a decade. Most of the prime indigenous species like, Milicia excelsa and Milicia regia, the mahoganies (Khaya and Entandrophragma species), Pericopsis elata, Nauclea diderrichii, and Triplochiton scleroxylon which, mainly generate substantial revenues for Ghana’s economy, have drastically reduced. the timber stocks in the off-reserve areas are disappearing at faster rates, leaving the forest reserves areas as “vulnerable small isolated islands” with limited populations of trees and animals with low possibilities for genetic exchange
- The tertiary processing levels of the timber industry is constrained by the supply of quality and preferred timber species and products. Illegal timber operations have not been brought under effective control and there is overcapacity in the sawmilling subsector. Although the raw material supplies are dwindling, production yields in the timber industry have not improved either by the application of efficient processing methods or the use of appropriate machinery that are suited to the sizes of materials available.
- The 1994 policy objective of promoting the export of less volume high value products was under stress as the export volume of furniture and furniture parts continued to decline. Raw material supplies to the tertiary processing subsector were mostly from illegal sources with low quality wood.
- The inadequacy of the 1994 Policy to respond adequately to domestic demand for timber and timber products to match the massive domestic investment in infrastructural development in the country. The past policy was export oriented and failed to address domestic utilization of timber products. It has resulted in a huge domestic timber demand gap which has induced widespread illegal chainsaw operations in the supply of lumber to the market.
- The Forestry Commission (FC) has not fully developed its capacity for properly managing the forests and wildlife resources. Due to broader environmental responsibilities it receives a large part of its budget from international funding and draws its salaries from the government. Morale is generally low due to unattractive remuneration and reward systems. Weak capacity is observed in technical skills, financial management and procurement.
- Natural resources are still perceived as public goods, which are free of charge and of unrestricted use both in the high forest and the savannah ecosystem. Primary as well as secondary users have resisted changes and are slow in adopting sustainable management practices.
- There is poor accountability in resource exploitation and lack of co-effectiveness in the use of resources and creation of appropriate benefits in a transparent and accountable manner. More than 1.7 million m 3 of timber harvested is not accounted for leading to considerable loss of revenue to the landowners, District Assemblies and the State.
- There is poor delivery of quality services by the Forestry Commission to resource owners and lack of inadequate multi-stakeholder involvement in forest sector activities.
- Although civil society is willing to participate in sustainable natural resource management, their capacities are weak to carry out the responsibilities.
- Another challenge to collaborative forest management strategy is how to achieve sustainability in the forest management, to integrate local communities into planning and management and still maintain a profitable sector. The tree tenure arrangement still remains unclear and the influx of alien herdsmen continue to heighten tensions within the local communities.
- The grant of concessions, the fees and taxation systems within the natural resource sector are not rationalized and transparent. the framework for collecting, recovering and redistributing revenues accruing from natural resources between resource owners, state users are inequitable and lack transparency. There is the need to restructure and make more transparent natural resource revenues going to state, local government administrators and local resource owners.
- There is lack of capacity in the tertiary sector leading to the production of low quality products for both the domestic and export markets.
- Timber continued to be grossly underpriced with the FC unable to charge legally prescribed stumpage fee thereby depriving landowners and District Assemblies of key financial resources for undertaking development projects. There is also very low timber concession ground rent that deprives landowners of key revenue.
The prevailing situation in the timber and wildlife sector defeats the premise upon which the 1994 Policy was formulated and raises questions on the balance between the socio-economic benefits and the associated opportunity cost of exploiting the country’s forest and wildlife resources
Aim of the 2012 Policy
The policy aims at the conservation and sustainable development of forest and wildlife resources for the maintenance of environmental stability and continuous flow of optimum benefits from the socio-cultural and economic goods and services that the forest environment provides to the present and future generations whilst fulfilling Ghana’s commitments under international agreements and conventions.
Objectives of the Policy
- To manage and enhance the ecological integrity of Ghana’s forest, savannah, wetlands and other ecosystems for the preservation of vital soil and water resources, conservation of biological diversity, and enhancing carbon stocks for sustainable production of domestic and commercial produce. Sustainable forest management will maintain the health of the forest to produce economically viable harvests, provide social and environmental benefits for now and the future. In ensuring sustainable forest ecosystem management, the following strategic directions and actions would be pursued:
- Manage forest reserves in line with national policies and legislation as well as international treaties that the country has ratified,
- Develop Off-reserve forest production areas with well-defined and clearly established objectives compatible with sustainable forest management principles, establish network of national parks, sanctuaries and other protected areas to adequately conserve ecologically representative areas and biological corridors that maintain genetic continuity of flora and fauna,
- Promote the traditional autonomy for the protection and management of sacred forests and community dedicated forests for biological and cultural diversity on and o reserves,
- Develop systems and technologies for sustainable management of savannah woodland resources for environmental protection and enhancement of socioeconomic development
- sustainably manage and develop commercial wood fuel supplies and other non-timber forest products both on and off reserved forest areas
- To promote the rehabilitation and restoration of degraded landscapes through forest plantation development, enrichment planting, and community forestry informed by appropriate land-use practices to enhance environmental quality and sustain the supply of raw materials for domestic and industrial consumption and for environmental protection. Large tracts of forest lands are degraded and need to be rehabilitated. There is the broad acceptance that forest plantations will require both public and private sector initiative with better information dissemination about the contribution of forest plantations to reverse land degradation, restore forest cover and improve rural livelihood and food security through agroforestry schemes. National Forest Plantation Development Program has been designed to ensure the involvement of government and private organizations and communities. However, sustainable and profitable plantation forestry will be achieved through greater government and private sector capital investment.
The following policy direction and strategies will be followed:
- Develop systems and incentive packages to support public, private sector and community investment in reforestation and forest plantation development in degraded priority forest and savannah areas.
- To promote the development of viable forest and wildlife based industries and livelihoods, particularly in the value added processing of forest and wildlife resources that satisfy domestic and international demand for competitively-priced quality products. The socio-economic importance of forest based industries to the national economy cannot be overemphasized. This policy will therefore seek to promote the establishment of a modern efficient timber and non-timber forest products’ industry that will maximize the forest and wildlife resources to ensure a balance between the industrial capacity and the sustainability of the resource and contribute significantly to the wellbeing of the rural dwellers.
The following policy direction and strategies will be followed:
- Support the development and modernization of the tertiary wood Industries,
- Promote the development of the wildlife based industries
- To promote and develop mechanisms for transparent governance, equity sharing and citizens’ participation in forest and wildlife resource management. The current collaborative approach involves consultation, needs assessment, investigation, synthesis and consensus building aimed at ensuring equity and the fair distribution of benefits and efficiency in the execution of forest management prescriptions. The Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) approach adopts the learning-up process, which concentrates on devising effective strategies at the conceptual stages, reviewing the effective phase to make it more efficient and finally expanding the lessons learnt to cover the target area. Consultations have been done at both the strategic and operational levels of forest management. Unfortunately, there are no legislative supports for the collaborative forest management.
- Institute transparency, equity and legalize public participation in sustainable forest and wildlife resources management.
- Develop Strategic National Plan to address illegal logging and chainsaw activities.
- Support the uptake and dissemination of information built on indigenous and scientific knowledge to improve on the management of forest and wildlife resources
- Promoting training, research and technology development that supports sustainable forest management. Research and training are the twin pillars for sustainable forestry development. Given the emerging importance of environmental services and participatory governance, there is the need to strengthen capacity in resource economics, policy impact analysis, and genetic engineering in addition to traditional disciplines relevant for sustainable forest management. Forestry research and education will be in line with national priorities and development programs whilst taking advantage of emerging global technologies.
Conservation education will seek
- to increase peoples’ awareness of the value of natural resources now and in the future,
- show people what threatens the well-being of their environment and how they can contribute to its improved management,
- Motivate them to change their behavior/ attitude in a way that leads to improved environmental management.
The strategies pursued are:
- Support the uptake and dissemination of information built on indigenous and scientific knowledge to improve on the management of forest and wildlife resources.
- Increase Public Education and Create Awareness on the Value and Multiple Uses and benefits of Forests. Support Research and Development to enhance efficiency in the wildlife industries