World Resource Institute report of Ghana’s forest

DEGRADATION OF GHANA’S FORESTS FOLLOWING THE WORLD RESOURCE INSTITUTE REPORT AND REACTION FROM THE FORESTRY COMMISSION.

The degradation of the country’s forest continues to attract debate in the media following reports by the World Resource Institute, WRI. According to the report, Ghana experienced the highest percent rise of 60 percent in primary forest loss between 2017 and 2018 of any tropical country. It’s cocoa producing counterpart, Côte d’Ivoire recorded 26 per cent of forest loss. According to the report, Illegal mining caused a large amount of the losses, and while it is difficult to attribute the exact location and amount of forest loss, expansion of cocoa farms in forest areas are said to have also contributed to this devastating development. Ghana, Cote D’ Ivoire and leading cocoa and chocolate companies pledged in 2017 to end deforestation within cocoa supply chains. While this is a promising step, the WRI expressed concern about the recent rise in primary forest loss, especially in protected areas, where 70 percent of the loss occurred.

The Forestry Commission has however reacted to the report, saying it is an exaggeration of the facts on the ground. The Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie has among others questioned the methodology used by the WRI and raised issues with the caption of the report “Forest Cover” instead of “Tree Cover”. He also stated major interventions like Climate Smart Cocoa Practices and, Modified Taungya System to address the problem. That notwithstanding every Ghanaian, Civil Society and the state institutions mandated to secure and protect our natural resource should definitely be alarmed, even if the figures are limited in scope and incomplete in estimations.

In as much as these independent assessments are important for overall planning, monitoring and verification purposes, Ghanaians do not need this report from WRI, to sound the warning that, the country is losing forests cover, both in areas designated as protected by law as well as areas considered as Off-Reserves. Until the ban on galamsey, illegal mining has ripped apart remaining forests in off-Reserve areas and even those protected by law, though systems are in place to control such illegal activities. During the period of the ban on galamsey, one can name places like Krobo, Aminase, Tonton, Oda, Jimira, Atewa, Kutukrom, Apontosu and Apapramase all Forest Reserves which have experienced serious deforestation and degradation by the activities of illegal mining. Because we failed to check illegal mining on farmlands, farmers were forced to move into new areas to clear fields for new farming activities. These incidences aside, there are evidence suggesting that galamsey activities are on-going under the cover of darkness, which is seriously undermining the integrity of our forest reserves. That aside, continuous devastation caused by illegal harvesting, transport and trade in rosewood in the northern parts of the country, to which a number of forest and protected areas like Mole National Park and Gbele Resource Reserve have been exposed to, cannot be glossed over. From 8 million hectares of forests at the turn of the century to just a little over 6 million hectares is definitely a dramatic loss.

Some reports have intimated that Ghana has lost 50% of its forest since 2000 and is experiencing a deforestation rate of 2% annually, one of the highest rates in the world. There are also reports that have warned that Ghana risked losing its remaining forest cover in a decade, if the current rate of wanton deforestation does not stop. We have interventions in place, but for as long as we continue to lose more forests, we definitely cannot be happy with whatever interventions are being rolling out. Given the urgency to prevent further losses as well as an impending climate change and irreversible biodiversity loss, Ghana as a country to address deforestation, before it is too late. It probably may be too late for countries like Mozambique and Indonesia but Ghana can quickly take a cue from misfortunes of others to salvage itself from an evil that could be avoided. Mozambique has recently been hit by cyclones Idai and Kenneth amplified by deforestation in the region. According to reports, Mozambique has seen between 10 and 15 percent of its forest disappear due to illegal logging and charcoal production in the past 25 years.

If we want to avert the calamity that has be fallen Mozambique, then we need to secure existing forests, and increase efforts to grow more forests. This should be tackled with the urgency it deserves, with a focus not only to establish tree plantations for timber, but also to secure the biodiversity they support so as to ensure ecosystem balance. We have the opportunity to make all the interventions count, and turn this gloomy picture around to one of hope and resilience.

Script is by Daryl Bosu.