Wildfire Management in the Tain II Forest Reserve of Ghana: An Evaluation of Community Participation

Abstract

Until 1983 uncontrolled wildfires were uncommon, especially in the forest zones of Ghana. Unfortunately early efforts at curbing wildfires did not place emphasis on stakeholder management. This weakness has constrained wildfire management as a result of weak coordination among stakeholders in the management of wildfire. But an essential element for the success of wildfire management is the active involvement of all stakeholders. This study was conducted to assess the role of stakeholders in wildfire management in the Tain II Forest Reserve in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. The study relied on both qualitative and quantitative approaches using household questionnaires as its primary data collection instrument. The study reveals that stakeholders occasionally participated in wildfire management planning, implementation and monitoring activities at the community level. This assertion was confirmed by the index of participation indicating that stakeholders were occasionally involved in wildfire management regarding planning (0.59), implementation (0.60) and monitoring (0.56). Also, empirical results show that the absence of incentives and lack of insurance serve as disincentives for effective functioning of wildfire squad volunteers around the Tain II forest reserve. The study concludes that the success, or otherwise, of wildfire management interventions, to a large extent, depends on the degree of involvement of stakeholders and the support given to them.