Assessment of Collaborative Forest Management Practices and Impact on Forest Management and Socio-Economic Development of Fringe Communities in the Aowin Suaman District of Ghana
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Date
2013-03
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Abstract
The study was conducted in the Yoyo and Tano Ehuro Forest Reserves in Enchi Forest
District, in the Western Region. It was done in five communities; Jensue, Yakase,
Adonikrom, Anwiafutu, and Nyankamam. Whereas Collaborative Forest Management
(CFM) is employed in the management of Yoyo Forest Reserve such is done for the
management of Tana Ehuro Forest reserve. The objectives of the study were to
investigate Collaborative Forest Management Strategies practiced, to find out the socio
economic impact of CFM on forest fringe communities and finally to estimate in area,
volume, and cost the extent of forest destructions/ encroachment in the reserve where
CFM is practiced against a reserve where CFM is not practiced. In each community, 20
respondents were randomly selected for a sample size of 100. The respondents were
interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire. Field measurements were conducted
on merchantable tree species found in the 800 meter squared area based on which
calculations were done. It was revealed the CFM strategies that existed were effective,
ranging from the involvement of fringe communities in the maintenance of forest
boundaries, rehabilitation of degraded forest areas to the provision of fund, dubbed
Community Investment Found (CIF). The CFM has had positive impact on
communities. Ninety Nine Percent (99%) of respondents have had training by the FSD.
80% of respondents stated that the CFM had reduced their reliance on the forest
resource, however, respondents proved that they encountered loss in 2007 during a
week-long flood. The Tano Ehuro Forest Reserve is about 84% destroyed costing
stakeholders Ghc 93,931,740 whiles Yoyo is 30% - 40% destroyed costing
stakeholders Gh¢ between 142,087.2 and 189,449.6.
CFM should be enforced and strengthened by all forest districts in forest management.
More alternative livelihood aids to fringe communities should be encouraged and a
more intensive training be given to potential beneficiaries of the CIF followed by
regular monitoring. Regeneration of the degraded areas be initiated by major
stakeholders. Yoyo Forest Reserve should be strictly protected since it contains valued
economic species.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Theoretical And Applied
Biology, College of Science Kwame Nkrumah University Of
Science and Technology, in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of Master Of Science Degree In
Environmental Science,