The implications of Land Tenure and Benefit Sharing Approaches on the REDD+ scheme for forest fringe communities in Ghana

Abstract

One essential component of global efforts on climate change mitigation is the incentive-based mechanism that seeks to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and also enhances forest carbon stocks through sustainable forest management in developing countries (the REDD+ scheme). There are other potential co-benefits associated with the REDD+ scheme which include biodiversity conservation, poverty alleviation and enhancement of rural livelihoods. A clear challenge for the REDD+ scheme is that if its implementation should be deemed as successful, the various drivers of deforestation should be addressed whereas the rights of local or forest fringe communities to forest resources should concurrently not be compromised. This research uses Ghana as a case to explore the implications of the introduction of the REDD+ scheme for forest fringe communities. The study employs land tenure and benefit sharing issues as the conceptual framework to answer the research question: ‘How should a national REDD+ scheme for Ghana be designed to maximise benefits to forest fringe communities?’ The study is based on a review of relevant literature including government documents and academic literature as well as interviews with ten key informants from the REDD+ Steering Committee of Ghana, NGOs, land administrators, academia and the forest fringe communities. The findings of the research indicate that Ghana’s land tenure arrangement is pluralistic and unclear involving both customary and statutory arrangements. Additionally, statutory provisions for sharing of benefits from forest resources in Ghana generally exclude forest fringe communities. Consequently, the rights of forest fringe communities in Ghana have not been fully recognised in the management of forest resources. However, under the REDD+ scheme preparatory process, Ghana has engaged forest fringe communities as key stakeholders for the scheme in general and for specific components such as the development of a benefit sharing framework for the scheme. This paper suggests that the participatory approach adopted in the REDD+ readiness phase of Ghana could build genuine support from forest fringe communities if there is strong political will to initiate reforms in the forestry sector that will legally recognise the rights of forest fringe communities and thereby make these communities shareholders of the scheme.