Rights and Responsibilities: The Reality of Forest Fringe Communities in the Northern Region of Ghana

The goal for collaborative forest management (CFM) is to attain sustainable management of forest resources for sustainable development. Securing rights and responsibilities of forest fringe communities is central to achieving effective and sustainable management of forest reserves. This article discusses the rights and responsibilities of the forest fringe communities under Ghana’s collaborative Forest Management (CFM) in the Northern region and explores the levels of awareness of communities of these rights and responsibilities. The survey employed a mixed method research design with community members and forestry staff as key respondents. We found that although Forest fringe communities are entitled to some admitted rights including access to the reserves and the right to harvest nontimber forest products such as thatch, medicinal plants, dry wood for firewood and edible fruits mainly for domestic use; in reality, access to such rights is somehow restricted by the forestry staff. Fringe communities have limited knowledge about their rights and responsibilities to the forest reserve. For sustainability, educating fringe communities on their rights and responsibilities to forest reserves and involving them in management decisions is recommended as the surest ways of securing their interests in CFM

Peri-urban agriculture and land tenure dynamics in Southern Ghana: Peri-urban agriculture and land tenure dynamics in Southern Ghana

Peri-urban zones are characterised by strong urban influences including increased possibilities for marketing of farm produce, provision of inputs and services, and non-farm employment but also exacerbated competition for land, inequalities in its distribution and risks from pollution. In developing countries, the positive elements generally are less than the negative influences. Peri-urban areas - lying in the interface between the urban and the rural - therefore tend to experience the development problems associated with 'both worlds'. Rural problems of inadequate social facilities still occur at the same time that land pressures and poor environmental health problems associated with growing urban areas create typical urban problems. This study used structured interview schedules to collect primary data from 504 randomly selected households in 50 randomly selected peri-urban communities. These communities were sampled from five purposively selected districts, namely Cape Coast, Ho, Sunyani, Koforidua and Accra. The issues examined related to agriculture in the context of the increasing tendency towards freehold land titling. It was concluded that all the zones are facing severe land shortage, which is affecting agricultural production, given the deficiencies in agri-support services. Women tended to have even smaller farm sizes. The trend towards land title registration is putting women in disadvantaged positions as landholders bequeath their lands to sons, even in matrilineal societies. It is therefore recommended that any policy on land, especially the LAP project, should consider the interests of women and the periurban poor.

The role of traditional authorities in local governance: The role of traditional authorities in local governance

The role of traditional Authorities in local governance was the subject of the study. The research design consisted of various methods of data collection including in-depth face-to face interviews, document reviews and observations. One technique that was used throughout the research to get information from all traditional role players was the appreciative technique. The population was made up of opinion leaders, settlers, chiefs, fetish priests, identified group leaders, tengdamba (land owners), family heads and local government staff. The instruments were pretested for reliability The analysis consisted of describing qualitative data while quantitative data was analysed using SPSS (statistical package for social sciences). It emerged that traditional institutions have more good to offer the District Assembly in local governance than their limitation of the work of the Assembly. The institutions have remained resilient in the face of modern challenges because of the confidence and trust people have in them and are prepared to defend them. People perceive traditional authorities to present their history, norms, values and belief systems; it is believed society would get much more substantially than if they are excluded

Conflict, peace and development: A spatio-thematic analysis of violent conflicts in Northern Ghana between 2007 and 2013

This study provides in text and in maps the spatial and temporal dynamics of violent conflicts in Northern Ghana focusing on their structure, causes and status. Primary data was collected from identified conflict hotspots to validate secondary information collected from two national dailies. Conflict zones tended to be generally clustered in the eastern corridor of Northern Ghana due the high degree of heterogeneity of ethnic groups and the struggle for recognition and dominance amongst them. The causes of conflicts included ethnicity, chieftaincy, religion, politics, urbanisation, struggles over resources and the fight for recognition. Many of the conflicts recorded remain unresolved. Generally, mediation efforts have only succeeded in yielding short term stability due to emphasis on addressing the triggers rather than the issues under contention. For durable peace in northern Ghana, the government and civil society groups must pay greater attention to the structural factors that shape these conflicts. The National House of Chiefs must codify customs and practices and usages in relation to heirs to positions of authority. Land titling has to be expedited by the state to establish boundaries to reduce land related conflicts

Examination of Household Solid Waste Management in Nadowli Township in Ghana: A Waste Management Hierarchy Approach

The purpose of the study was to identify the gaps between existing practices and the provisions of the hierarchy of waste management model in the Nadowli Township of the Upper West Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional study design with quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted and questionnaires, observation and interview guides were used to collect data from a sample size of 100 respondents. Findings revealed that the methods of waste management in the model cannot be practiced without linkage to the roles of stakeholders. While waste disposal is the least preferred option in theory, it was the most practiced method. Accordingly, avoidance, reduction, reuse and recycling were less practiced, resulting in ineffective prevention of pollution, diseases, environmental resource conservation and sustainability. It was recommended that adequate coverage of educational campaigns and infrastructural development could bridge the gap between theory and practice.Keywords: Solid Waste, Waste Management Methods, Stakeholders, Nadowl

Community participation and sustainable forest management in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower Denkyira District: Community participation and sustainable forest management in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower Denkyira District

Community participation is central to the sustainable management of forest reserves. However, forest reserves in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower Denkyira District are disturbed by rural people even under collaborative forest management, which threatens forest sustainability. The study analysed the socio-economic importance of the reserves to the forest fringe communities, participation levels of the communities in reserve protection, and challenges stakeholders face in ensuring sustainable forest management (SFM). The study adopted a descriptive study design to assess community participation in SFM. Both simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the sample for the study. Questionnaire, interview schedule and focus group discussion guide were employed for the primary data collection. The main findings of the study were that forest fringe communities enjoyed some benefits from the forest but this was not enough. Their participation in SFM was only by upholding the forest by-laws. However, a major challenge was the farm raiding by elephants from the forest reserve. Community participation in SFM was at the 'lowest levels. Some of the challenges encountered by stakeholders in SFM were non-cooperation of community members and access restriction to forest resources. The study recommends that government should not only legally recognise forest ownership rights but also build the capacity of communities to allow higher community participation levels in SFM