Read my New Book on Indigenous Agricultural Adaptations to Climate Change in Ghana

I have e-published a book based on my research on indigenous adaptations to climate change in rural Ghanaian farming communities.

You can find it here.

Why Ghana Needs to Save Its Forests and Become a Leader in Environmental Conservation

Why Ghana Needs to Save Its Forests and Become a Leader in Environmental Conservation

By Douglas La Rose

In 2007, I was an American Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana working with the government of Ghana on the “Greening Ghana Initiative.” As part of Ghana’s 50^th anniversary celebrations, the government of Ghana mobilized environmental NGOs and farmers from all around Ghana to plant seedlings along roadsides, in the middle of farms, and in busy marketplaces. Many people were inspired by the message that the program was getting across - that we need to plant more trees and cut down less. The benefits of planting trees and keeping forests intact far outweigh the benefits of cutting down forests and continuing on the same path Ghana has been following. But five years later, the discussion of the environment has all but left the national conversation. The big questions are: why did we stop talking about the environment in Ghana?, and why is the issue of the environment important for the nation of Ghana to consider?

Ghana, as we all know, is the beacon of democracy in Africa. There have been five elections that have taken place over the past twenty years that have all gone relatively smoothly. The resulting political stability in Ghana has attracted foreign investment and inspired the economy to grow at rates faster than any other country in the world. While Ghana holds a reputation for having one of the most vibrant democracies in the world, it lags far behind on another measurement of success: environmental conservation and natural resource management. What is so surprising about this is that these two measures of success are interdependent. Ghana cannot continue to have a vibrant democracy if the agricultural – including cocoa production – sector collapses. Democracy and food security need each other to survive. At the heart of this crisis are Ghana’s forests and the timber industry.

As a foreign investor in Ghana who has a sustainable agroforestry project in the Volta Region, I am disturbed every time I see a truck strapped with native logs tearing down the road in a cloud of dust. I see the forests of Ghana literally disappearing before my eyes. With every native tree that gets cut down, the integrity of Ghana’s ecosystems becomes weaker and weaker. The forest belt of Ghana plays an important role in the microclimates of Ghana and regulates the rainfall patterns while producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Though the science behind all this is quite complicated, there is one important point to be taken away from it: without its thick forests, Ghana will be put in a situation where it cannot produce enough food to sustain itself. The rest of the world will suffer as well because of the cumulative impacts of deforestation and climate change, and that is where Ghana can have a huge impact. If Ghana puts in place legislation to preserve its forests, the rest of the world will see Ghana not only as a vibrant democracy, but also as a vibrant democracy that is sustainable and environmentally conscious.

Ghana needs to stop cutting down its native forests. Other countries, including the United States, have been able to curb deforestation by planting woodlots on deforested lands and sustainably harvesting timber from them. Of course, this cannot be done overnight. Ghana should create an eight-year plan that helps transition the timber industry from logging forests to logging woodlots. The Ministry of Forestry could train timber contractors how to develop woodlots that they could harvest in less than eight years. After eight years, a moratorium would be placed on the logging of Ghana’s rainforests and afforestation efforts could help restore some of Ghana’s damaged ecosystems. In the end, the timber industry would remain intact and even produce more revenue than they currently do. By planting woodlots and curbing deforestation, the forests of Ghana would absorb carbon dioxide and keep microclimates in the necessary health to sustain farming. Woodlots would also work to absorb carbon dioxide and could be harvested on a sustainable basis, making the operation effectively carbon neutral.

Ghana doesn’t just have to be a beacon for democracy, it can also be a beacon for environmental conservation and the battle against climate change.