TITLE:
Wildfire Management in the Tain II Forest Reserve of Ghana: An Evaluation of Community Participation
AUTHORS:
Enoch Akwasi Kosoe, Issaka Kanton Osumanu, Victor Rex Barnes
KEYWORDS:
Wildfire Management, Stakeholder Participation, Volunteer Squads, Tain II Forest Reserve, Ghana
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.2 No.10,
October
30,
2015
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.