IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/enviro/v5y2017i4p40-56n4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perceived synergy between deforestation and/or forest degradation and climate variability and change in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Abalo Emmanuel Mawuli

    (Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)

  • Peprah Prince

    (Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)

  • Appiah Divine Odame

    (Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)

  • Sarpong Belinda Serkyiwah Asante

    (Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)

  • Amankwaa Godfred

    (School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South-Parks Road OxfordOX1 3QY, GB)

  • Nakoja Yagah

    (Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, University of Ghana Business School, Legon)

Abstract

Perceptual studies on the environment and natural resources are important, if unsustainable use of these resources is to be abated. This paper unravels the hitherto unknown drivers of deforestation and/or forest degradation, and the causes of climate variability and change (CVC), by assessing their synergy based on participants self-reported cases in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Ashanti Region, Ghana. Drawing on the criterion and simple random sampling techniques to sample 360 respondents from 4 different communities and adopting the empiricist paradigm to derive trends and patterns in responses, this study demonstrated the bi-directional association between forest degradation and climate change. Results suggested that participants across the various socio-economic status fields were adequately informed, and knowledgeable about changes in climatic variables. Participants’ perceived the loss of forest, extinction of tree species and changing forest to savanna lands as indications of deforestation. Respondents with basic education and/or high school education adequately predicted that CVC factors influence decisions regarding forest removal compared with the uneducated. Removing one hectare of vegetation cover change per year (being it an increase or decrease in the area) (1 ha/year+/-/) or about three hectares (3 ha/year+/-), at a rate of 60%, and forest cover at rates of 57% were perceived as significant drivers of CVC. In recommendation, policies targeted at reducing forest degradation and deforestation and contributing to the fight against CVC in the Municipality should henceforth take into consideration the opinions of the indigenes in addition to scientific evidence in order to ensure the effectiveness of such policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Abalo Emmanuel Mawuli & Peprah Prince & Appiah Divine Odame & Sarpong Belinda Serkyiwah Asante & Amankwaa Godfred & Nakoja Yagah, 2017. "Perceived synergy between deforestation and/or forest degradation and climate variability and change in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Ghana," Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, Sciendo, vol. 5(4), pages 40-56, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:enviro:v:5:y:2017:i:4:p:40-56:n:4
    DOI: 10.1515/environ-2017-0019
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/environ-2017-0019
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/environ-2017-0019?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wiggins, Steve & Marfo, Kofi & Anchirinah, Vincent, 2004. "Protecting the Forest or the People? Environmental Policies and Livelihoods in the Forest Margins of Southern Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(11), pages 1939-1955, November.
    2. Agrawal, Arun & Gibson, Clark C., 1999. "Enchantment and Disenchantment: The Role of Community in Natural Resource Conservation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 629-649, April.
    3. Benjamin S. Orlove & John C. H. Chiang & Mark A. Cane, 2000. "Forecasting Andean rainfall and crop yield from the influence of El Niño on Pleiades visibility," Nature, Nature, vol. 403(6765), pages 68-71, January.
    4. Peprah Prince & Abalo Emmanuel Mawuli & Amoako Jones & Nyonyo Julius & Duah Williams Agyemang & Adomako Isaac, 2017. "“The Reality from the Myth”: The poor as main agents of forest degradation: Lessons from Ashanti Region, Ghana," Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, Sciendo, vol. 5(3), pages 1-11, September.
    5. Mark Appiah & Dominic Blay & Lawrence Damnyag & Francis Dwomoh & Ari Pappinen & Olavi Luukkanen, 2009. "Dependence on forest resources and tropical deforestation in Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 471-487, June.
    6. Mark Appiah, 2001. "Co-Partnership in Forest Management: The Gwira-Banso Joint Forest Management Project in Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 343-360, December.
    7. Maria Sánchez-Cortés & Elena Chavero, 2011. "Indigenous perception of changes in climate variability and its relationship with agriculture in a Zoque community of Chiapas, Mexico," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 107(3), pages 363-389, August.
    8. Alston, Lee J. & Libecap, Gary D. & Mueller, Bernardo, 2000. "Land Reform Policies, the Sources of Violent Conflict, and Implications for Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 162-188, March.
    9. World Bank, 2008. "Forests Sourcebook : Practical Guidance for Sustaining Forests in Development Cooperation," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6455.
    10. A. Baccini & S. J. Goetz & W. S. Walker & N. T. Laporte & M. Sun & D. Sulla-Menashe & J. Hackler & P. S. A. Beck & R. Dubayah & M. A. Friedl & S. Samanta & R. A. Houghton, 2012. "Estimated carbon dioxide emissions from tropical deforestation improved by carbon-density maps," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(3), pages 182-185, March.
    11. Senaratne, Athula & Scarborough, Helen, 2011. "Coping with Climatic Variability by Rain-fed Farmers in Dry Zone, Sri Lanka: Towards Understanding Adaptation to Climate Change," 2011 Conference (55th), February 8-11, 2011, Melbourne, Australia 100707, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    12. Ferraro, Paul J., 2002. "The local costs of establishing protected areas in low-income nations: Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2-3), pages 261-275, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Skutsch, Margaret & Turnhout, Esther, 2020. "REDD+: If communities are the solution, what is the problem?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Pellegrini, L. & Dasgupta, A., 2009. "Land reform in Bolivia: the forestry question," ISS Working Papers - General Series 18713, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    3. Service Opare, 2011. "Sustaining water supply through a phased community management approach: lessons from Ghana’s “oats” water supply scheme," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1021-1042, December.
    4. Rasolofoson, Ranaivo A. & Nielsen, Martin R. & Jones, Julia P.G., 2018. "The potential of the Global Person Generated Index for evaluating the perceived impacts of conservation interventions on subjective well-being," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 107-118.
    5. Kashwan, Prakash & MacLean, Lauren M. & García-López, Gustavo A., 2019. "Rethinking power and institutions in the shadows of neoliberalism," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 133-146.
    6. Mackenzie, Catrina A., 2012. "Accruing benefit or loss from a protected area: Location matters," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 119-129.
    7. Marin Elisabeth Skidmore, 2023. "Outsourcing the dry season: Cattle ranchers' responses to weather shocks in the Brazilian Amazon," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(2), pages 409-433, March.
    8. Hogarth, Nicholas J. & Belcher, Brian & Campbell, Bruce & Stacey, Natasha, 2013. "The Role of Forest-Related Income in Household Economies and Rural Livelihoods in the Border-Region of Southern China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 111-123.
    9. Mena, Carlos F. & Barbieri, Alisson F. & Walsh, Stephen J. & Erlien, Christine M. & Holt, Flora L. & Bilsborrow, Richard E., 2006. "Pressure on the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve: Development and Land Use/Cover Change in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 1831-1849, October.
    10. Yasmi, Yurdi & Kelley, Lisa C. & Enters, Thomas, 2013. "Community–outsider conflicts over forests: Perspectives from Southeast Asia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 21-27.
    11. Bakkegaard, Riyong Kim & Hogarth, Nicholas J. & Bong, Indah Waty & Bosselmann, Aske S. & Wunder, Sven, 2017. "Measuring forest and wild product contributions to household welfare: Testing a scalable household survey instrument in Indonesia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 20-28.
    12. Andersson, Krister P. & Smith, Steven M. & Alston, Lee J. & Duchelle, Amy E. & Mwangi, Esther & Larson, Anne M. & de Sassi, Claudio & Sills, Erin O. & Sunderlin, William D. & Wong, Grace Y., 2018. "Wealth and the distribution of benefits from tropical forests: Implications for REDD+," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 510-522.
    13. Araujo, Claudio & Bonjean, Catherine Araujo & Combes, Jean-Louis & Combes Motel, Pascale & Reis, Eustaquio J., 2009. "Property rights and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(8-9), pages 2461-2468, June.
    14. Krott, Max & Bader, Axel & Schusser, Carsten & Devkota, Rosan & Maryudi, Ahmad & Giessen, Lukas & Aurenhammer, Helene, 2014. "Actor-centred power: The driving force in decentralised community based forest governance," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 34-42.
    15. Purnamita Dasgupta, 2007. "Common Property Resources as Development Drivers: A Study of Fruit Cooperative in Himachal Pradesh: India," Working Papers id:917, eSocialSciences.
    16. Pacheco, Pablo, 2009. "Agrarian Reform in the Brazilian Amazon: Its Implications for Land Distribution and Deforestation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 1337-1347, August.
    17. Thiemo Fetzer & Samuel Marden, 2017. "Take What You Can: Property Rights, Contestability and Conflict," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 0(601), pages 757-783, May.
    18. Schusser, Carsten, 2013. "Who determines biodiversity? An analysis of actors' power and interests in community forestry in Namibia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 42-51.
    19. Pouliot, Mariève & Treue, Thorsten, 2013. "Rural People’s Reliance on Forests and the Non-Forest Environment in West Africa: Evidence from Ghana and Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 180-193.
    20. Fobissie Kalame & Johnson Nkem & Monica Idinoba & Markku Kanninen, 2009. "Matching national forest policies and management practices for climate change adaptation in Burkina Faso and Ghana," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 135-151, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:enviro:v:5:y:2017:i:4:p:40-56:n:4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.