Local Institutions and Adaptive Forest Management in Ghana

Examines the existing pattern of forest management and policy at the local level in the tropical high forest zone of Ghana. It looks at institutions of local government and traditional authority which are linked to forest use; district Forestry Department activities; concession-holders and other timber harvesters; and the nature of relationships between rural people, forest resources and the representatives of these institutions. The paper draws on a study which used a combination of approaches including direct assessment of forest condition, Participatory Rural Appraisal, in-depth interview and literature review. It includes six examples of adaptive forest management at the local level, and draws out lessons for developing viable and adaptive forest management.