5 Communities to help check depletion of forests
Representatives of five communities in the Bibiani Forest District (BFD) in the Western Region have agreed to assist forest officials to check illegal logging, mining and farming in the forest reserves in the area.
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The five communities, Ankwaaso, Kwakumekrom, Aboabo, Mmrewa and Affulkrom were represented by assembly members, chiefs and youth groups at a day’s forum jointly organised by the National Forest Forum-Ghana (NFF-G) and the West Africa Forest Programme Office (WAFPO).
The forum formed part of a series organised by the two institutions, aimed at involving communities along the forest reserves in forest conservation, management and implementation.
Forest officials drawn from BFD and also representatives of Bibiani-Ahnwiaso- Bekwai District Assembly attended the forum.
NFF-G seeks to promote good forest governance in the country by providing a platform for multi-stakeholder involvement in the management of the country’s resources.
The WAFPO, on the other hand, also seeks to develop and co-ordinate sustainable forest conservation and management programmes in West African countries.
The Assistant District Manager for Bibiani Forest District (BFD), Mr Emmanuel Omane, giving the overview of the state of BFD, said it had eight forest reserves and off-reserve, areas which include Anhwiaso-East, Anwhiaso-North, Anhwiaso-South, Afao Hills, Sumtwitwi, Tano Suraw, Tano Suraw Extension and Upper-Wassa.
Mr Omane noted that the county’s total forest resources, which covered 8.2 million hectares, had been reduced to 1.6 million hectares and out of that number, in the High Forest Zone (HFZ), only 719,300, representing 45 per cent, had been designated as production forests from which timber could be harvested.
He stressed that in the Western Region, out of a total forest reserve area of 700,880 hectares, only 323,000 hectares of the reserve were productive.
Mr Omane further stressed that out of the eight forest reserves in the BFD, only three of them were productive.
He attributed the causes of forest degradation to illegal chainsaw operations, farming, mining and logging.
The participants, who were touched by the presentation made by Mr Omane, said it would be suicidal for them to sit aloof and allow those nation wreckers to take the laws into their own hands and deplete their own rich resources.
Others also accused some of the chiefs, elders and assembly members of either directly taking part in those activities or using some agents to do the operations for them.
By Nana Yaw Barimah/Daily Graphic/Ghana