Abstract
This study assessed the type, origin, nature, level and the effect of the conflicts on the development of the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve (KSNR) in Ghana. It also examined constraints confronting effective conflict management in KSNR and made policy recommendations to help curtail the conflicts. Data for the study were obtained through interviews with the stakeholders as well as on-site observation. The results revealed that structural conflict was the major type of conflict characterizing the conflicts in the KSNR. This conflict mainly originated from weak enforcement of resource laws, absence of conflict management mechanism, land litigation and demographic changes. These together with inadequate source of livelihood and imposition of policy without effective participation of stakeholders have increased illegal activities including hunting and encroachment, resulting in uncontrolled conflicts in the KSNR. The study recommends that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources establishes a legislative instrument to put in place a well-structured conflict mechanism to address conflicts in natural resource areas. In the short term, regular conservation education programmes should be embarked on in the fringe communities for the people to appreciate the need for natural resource sustainability.
Highlights
People everywhere on the globe compete for natural resources to enhance their livelihoods
The results revealed that structural conflict was the major type of conflict characterizing the conflicts in the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve (KSNR)
Given the limited land resources in the Special Use Zone (SUZ) to expand their farming activities, household heads poach for extra lands for farming and housing and logs as building materials for accommodation in the KSNR
Summary
People everywhere on the globe compete for natural resources to enhance their livelihoods. According to Hammill and Bescançon (2010), natural resources represent different things to different groups. The demand for these natural resources at times leads to conflicts that need to be managed. Nang, Khiev, Hirsch, and Whitehead (2011) indicated that some of the causes of conflicts over natural conserved areas included poor stakeholder analysis in natural resource management issues regarding lack of clarity in roles, overlapping roles, misfit between formal roles and actual practice, lack of effective feedback mechanisms and inadequate coordination and participation
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