Revisiting illegal logging and the size of the domestic timber market: the case of Ghana

Abstract

SUMMARY The paper assesses the size of 19 lumber markets in Ghana based on monitoring of vehicles carrying lumber to the markets. The paper suggests an annual supply of approximately 1 million m3 of lumber to the 19 markets. 80% is illegal chainsaw lumber. The sales are predominantly for domestic consumption, but a share goes for export to neighbouring countries. Considering markets and sales not covered by the study and allowing for inter-market exchanges, the paper suggests that the annual sales for domestic consumption and overland export may be in the order of 1.4 million m3. Added formal export sales of 0.5 million m3, total annual wood sales approaches 1.9 million m3 which corresponds to approximately 6 million m3 raw wood equivalent. This is six times the annual allowable cut. The paper confirms that around-the-clock market monitoring of wood-transporting vehicles is a reliable and feasible method for estimating the size of domestic market, and a method that could find further applications. The lar...