| I. INTRODUCTION | | | | institutional control); |
| The natural environment is now regarded by many | | | | - Land use classification should be pursued and land |
| as being at risk from the harmful influence of | | | | earmarked for forestry should be maintained; |
| industrialization and human activities, hence the urgent | | | | - Marginal lands which are not suitable for agriculture |
| need for its protection from further harm and | | | | could be reforested and put under effective and |
| depletion. The protection requires:a. | | | | sustainable management; |
| Reduction, control and elimination of existing causes | | | | - To find or develop substitutes for tangible forest |
| of damage to the environmentb. The | | | | produce; |
| Prevention of additional forms of damagec. | | | | - Forest reserves and tree growing/reforestation |
| The preservation and natural use of the environment | | | | programmes should be pursued vigorously. |
| The importance of forest cannot be over | | | | V. MECHANISMS FOR IMPLEMENTATION |
| emphasized. The forest produces both tangible and | | | | OF STRATEGIES |
| intangible benefits. The tangible benefits are timber | | | | The following mechanisms for implementation of |
| and non-timber product meant for domestic use and | | | | strategies are recommended: |
| export. Intangible benefits include control of erratic | | | | 1. Functional Legislation and Coordination of |
| rainfall, climatic stability, soil improvement, agricultural | | | | Activities |
| productivity and windbreaks. | | | | There are more laws governing forests in Ghana than |
| The Holy Bible says "…for the tree of the field is | | | | any other sector of the environmental. The |
| man's life" [Deuteronomy 20:19, King James Version]. | | | | instruments include: Environmental Protecting Agency |
| Therefore, to have a forest is a blessing. | | | | Act, 1994 (Act 490); Trees and Timber |
| Indira Ghandhi, Prime Minister of India also said, | | | | (Amendment) Act, 1994 (Act 493); |
| "When the last tree dies, the last man dies". | | | | Forestry Commission Act, 1999 (Act 571); Forest |
| Today, one of Ghana's principal environmental | | | | Protecting (Amendment) Act 2002, (Act 624); Forest |
| problems confronting both public and private sectors | | | | Plantation Development Fund Act, 2000, (Act 583) |
| of the society is deforestation. | | | | Control and Prevention of Bushfires Act, 1990; |
| It is true that deforestation is not limited to one | | | | Timber Operations Act; Timber Resources |
| geographic region or one set of culture, instead is a | | | | Management Regulations Act, 1998; Timber Industry |
| shared problem of the international community. | | | | and Ghana Timber Marketing Board Act, 1977. There |
| Virtually in every country, people are destroying | | | | is the need for codification of these laws and |
| valuable forests either for the purpose of living or | | | | legislative bodies which deal directly with |
| trade. The questions this paper attempts to answer | | | | deforestation problems and their activities should be |
| include: What role is Ghana playing domestically to | | | | coordinated in order to enhance cooperation and |
| rescue deforestation which is occurring around the | | | | reduce duplication and conflict. The laws regarding our |
| world at such an unprecedented pace? What | | | | forest conservation should be strictly enforced with |
| strategies can be used to reverse the trend? | | | | exemplary punitive and deterrent penalties. |
| II. DEFORESTATION TREND IN GHANA | | | | 1. 2. Forestry Policy |
| For various reasons, such as logging and clearing of | | | | The state is, under Article 36(9) of the 1992 |
| forests for cash crops cultivation, the rainforest in | | | | Constitution of Ghana, enjoined to take appropriate |
| Ghana has been decreasing rapidly and significantly. | | | | measures needed to protect and safeguard the |
| Ghana's forest area is decreasing gradually from | | | | natural environment for posterity and seek |
| 7,447,854 hectares in 1990, to 6,093,906 hectares in | | | | cooperation with other states and bodies for the |
| 2000 and 5,516, 932 hectares in 2005. The | | | | purpose of protecting the wider international |
| deforestation rate from 1990 to 2000 was 18.2% | | | | environment for mankind. In the light of this |
| giving a deforestation rate of about 1.8% per year. | | | | constitutional provision, there is the need for a clear |
| The impact of deforestation is widespread, | | | | cut national policy on forest conservation and |
| affecting the livelihoods of local people, disrupting | | | | deforestation. The Ministries concerned with forestry |
| important environmental functions and severely | | | | and other stake holders should come together and |
| destroying the original forest ecosystem. There is a | | | | draw an effective short, medium and long-term |
| serious concern in Ghana about climatic change, soil | | | | forestry policy for Ghana. The policy should |
| erosion and large-scale desertification. Since | | | | vigorously address the following: |
| independence in 1957, the exploitation of timber for | | | | - Dissemination of deforestation related information |
| commercial purposes has been part of the Ghanaian | | | | and education; |
| economy. It was not until the start of the Economic | | | | - Research activities in deforestation; |
| Reform Programme (ERP) in 1981 that deforestation | | | | - Management of forest resources; |
| has become a serious concern for the governments | | | | - Monitoring programmes and international |
| and private organizations. Today, timber is Ghana's | | | | co-operation in forest management; |
| third most important export commodity after cocoa | | | | - Common approach to regional and global |
| and minerals. Timber exports have increased in terms | | | | deforestation; |
| of volume and revenue since the introduction of ERP, | | | | - Implementation of forestry policies. |
| rising from $16 millions in 1983 to 100 millions in 1988. | | | | In the international sphere, Ghana needs to seriously |
| Ghana's total exports of timber and wood products | | | | observe its obligations under Conventions to which it |
| for the first nine months of 2008 increased to | | | | is a party, such as the International Timber |
| 430,100m³, a 7.7% rise when compared to the | | | | Agreement and the African Convention on Nature |
| same period in 2007. The corresponding total revenue | | | | and Natural Resources (1969). Ghana should also give |
| for the first three quarters also increased 4.2% to | | | | consent by ratifying other instruments related to |
| EUR144.42 million in 2008, up from EUR135.55 million in | | | | protection of the forests and their resources. |
| 2007. But, as the volume and value of timber exports | | | | 1. 3. Promotion and enhancement of the roles |
| increase, deforestation also increases at the same | | | | of institutions, governmental and non governmental |
| rate with other related consequences. Ghana's tropical | | | | organizations |
| forest area is now just 25 percent of its original size. | | | | There is the need to coordinate and promote the |
| The main causes of deforestation in Ghana are: | | | | activities of governmental and non-governmental |
| - Timber logging (cutting of the rain forest); | | | | organizations involved with the ecological crises of |
| - Wrong and primitive agricultural practices in forest | | | | deforestation. The bodies could includes: The |
| areas; | | | | parliamentary committee on agriculture, nutrition, |
| - Illegal Chain Saw Operation | | | | forestry, conservation and rural development; Friends |
| - Urban and industrial expansion and their reliance on | | | | of Earth Ghana; Green Earth Organization; Ghana |
| forest products; | | | | Agricultural Workers Union; Ghana Timber Marketing |
| - Road and railway constructions; | | | | Board; Evergreen Club of Ghana; University Research |
| - Exploitation for fuel-wood and non-timber forest | | | | Centers; Centre for Environmental Research and |
| products | | | | Sustainable Development (CERES). |
| - Annual bushfires; | | | | 4. Enforcement of Forestry Laws |
| - Surface and deep mining of gold, diamonds and | | | | The strict regulation of timber concessions, chain saw |
| other minerals. | | | | operation, mining activities, agricultural and commercial |
| III. IMPACT OF DEFORESTATION | | | | logging activities should be strictly adhered to and |
| This can be looked at from two perspectives: Impact | | | | enforced with deterrent punitive measures. The |
| on the natural environment and impact on | | | | Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should |
| sustainabledevelopment | | | | enforce the Environmental Assessment Regulations |
| The impact of deforestation on the natural | | | | 19991 L.I. 1652. This legislation specifies that "It is an |
| environment are numerous, some of which are | | | | offence to start a project/development without an |
| reversible whilst others are not. In summary, the | | | | Environmental Permit". The EPA has in pursuit of this |
| notable effects in Ghana include: | | | | legislation issued a publication: "Environmental Impact |
| - Soil erosion and soil nutrients depletion | | | | Assessment Requirements in Ghana: The Pathfinder |
| - Climate change with extreme weather conditions | | | | to Sustainable Development". The public must be |
| - Flooding and landslides | | | | educated on the contents of this publication and |
| - Drying up of streams and rivers/ shortage of fresh | | | | other related laws before their enforcement. |
| water | | | | Industries, Non-governmental Organizations (NGO's), |
| - Loss of wildlife habitat | | | | Inter-governmental Organizations (IGO's), farmers |
| - Forest areas changing into Savanna /desertification | | | | groups and the general citizenry whose activities |
| The continuous loss of forest is indeed having serious | | | | directly cause deforestation should be educated and |
| detrimental effect on sustainable development. The | | | | encouraged to carry out reforestation and tree |
| key impacts are: | | | | planting activities. An annual national tree-planting day |
| - Increasing inability of the forest to meet the | | | | should be set aside for the whole nation to plant |
| demand for wood and wood products; | | | | trees. |
| - Food insecurity; | | | | The establishment of a Ghana Biodiversity Data |
| - Poverty, disease and death. | | | | Management System (GBDMS) should also greatly |
| Sustainable development involves judicious use of a | | | | help to respond to issues relating to deforestation |
| nation's resources to meet the needs of its people in | | | | and other related initiatives on biodiversity. There |
| a manner that is in harmony with the physical | | | | should be activities to recycle forest products and to |
| environment. The current trend of deforestation, if | | | | find alternatives to forest products. |
| not reversed now, will cause not only the extinction | | | | One of the main causes of deforestation in Ghana |
| of thousands of animal and plant species but also lead | | | | is the use of trees and plants for fuel and energy. |
| to a significant change in the country's development | | | | The Energy Commission should be made to work on |
| pattern and progress. | | | | alternatives to wood-fuel and make available in forest |
| IV. STRATEGIES FOR SOLVING GHANA'S | | | | areas cheaper energy sources. Example is the use of |
| DEFORESTATION PROBLEM | | | | gas which is also gradually becoming unavailable and |
| Until the late 1980s, efforts to resolve deforestation | | | | expensive. The completion of the West African gas |
| problem, was largely cosmetic, ad hoc and lacked a | | | | pipelines may go a long way to solve some of these |
| strategic overview of the impact of environmental | | | | problems. Urban and rural electrification programme |
| decisions and actions on different natural and | | | | should be pursued vigorously. |
| socio-economic environments. Prior to 1994 various | | | | The political will is very essential in the control of |
| governmental bodies existed to deal with protection | | | | deforestation. Formation of Green parties in Ghana |
| and management of particular aspects of the | | | | and also encouragement of political parties to include |
| environment including the forests. These bodies | | | | "Green Agenda" in their party manifestos will bring |
| operated, in most cases, in total absence of | | | | into power politicians who are environmentally |
| co-ordination of their efforts and without any | | | | sensitive. |
| effective collaboration. This caused traditional | | | | VI. CONCLUSION |
| institutional problem like duplication of monitoring, | | | | Sustainable development involves the judicious use of |
| overlap in international support efforts, and problems | | | | the world's resources to meet man's needs in a |
| of enforcement of regulations. Most of these bodies | | | | manner that is in harmony with the physical |
| were also inadequately equipped to handle their | | | | environment. If this physical environment is allowed to |
| mandates. This is valid both in the sense of available | | | | be destroyed through deforestation, then real |
| resources for environmental impact assessment and | | | | development will come to a tragic end and posterity |
| in the sense of trained staff, capable of making | | | | will judge us all. Every effort should be made to stop |
| good environmental judgments. | | | | or control the vanishing forest because "when the |
| Recommended Strategies: | | | | last tree dies the last man dies" It is provided in |
| Increasing population leads to increasing demand on | | | | Article 41(k) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana that: |
| forest resources, hence conservation of forest | | | | "it shall be the duty of each citizen to protect and |
| resources is required in the following areas: | | | | safeguard the environment". |
| - Control of removal of forest resources (legal and | | | | |