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.
Cite this paper
Kosoe, E. A. , Osumanu, I. K. and Barnes, V. R. (2015). Wildfire Management in the Tain II Forest Reserve of Ghana: An Evaluation of Community Participation. Open Access Library Journal, 2, e1964. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1101964.
Makarabhirom, P., Ganz, D. and Onprom, S. (2002) Community Involvement in Fire Management: Cases and Recommendations
for Community-Based Fire Management in Thailand. In: Moore, P., Ganz, D., Tan,
C.L., Enters, T. and Durst, B.P., Eds., Communities
in Flames: Proceedings of an
International Conference on Community Involvement in Fire Management, RAP Publication 2002/25, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, 10-25.
Ganz,
D. and Moore, P. (2002) Living with Fire: Summary of Communities in Flames
International Conference. In: Moore, P., Ganz, D., Tan, C.L., Enters, T. and
Durst, B.P., Eds., Communities in Flames: Proceedings of an International Conference
on Community Involvement in Fire Management, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, 1-9.
Shield,
J.B., Smith, W.R. and Ganz, D. (2006) Fire Management Working Paper: Global
Forest Resources Assessment 2005. Report
on Fire in the South East Asian (ASEAN) Region, Fire Management Working Paper FFM/10.
Ganz,
D., Moore, P.F. and Shields, B.J. (2001). Report of an International Workshop
on Community-Based Fire Management. RECOFTC and Project Fire Fight South East Asia, Kasetsart University,
Bangkok, 6-8 December 2000, RECOFTC Training and Workshop
Report Series, 2001/3 Bangkok.
Moore, F.P. (2003) Community-Based Fire
Management (CBFiM). Global Fire Summit, Sydney, 8 October 2003, International
Wild Land Fire Summit Paper No. 5.
FAO (2003) Community-Based Fire Management:
Case Studies from China, the Gambia, Honduras, India, the Lao People‘s
Democratic Republic and Turkey. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific,
Bangkok, RAP Publication 2003/08, Forest Resources Development Service Working Paper FFM/2.
Ganz, D., Moore, P. and Reeb, D. (2003)
Prologue: Community-Based Fire Management Case Studies from China, the Gambia,
Honduras, India, Lao People‘s Democratic Republic and Turkey. Forest Resources
Development Service, Working Paper FFM/2, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, RAP Publication
2003/08.
International Forest Fire News (IFFN)
(2003) Outcomes of the International Wildland Fire Summit, Sydney, Australia, 8
October 2003. International Forest Fire News (IFFN), July-December 2003, 20-35, No. 29.
Barnes, V.R. (2008) Proposal for Community Fire Management in and
around Tain II Forest Reserve in Sunyani Forest District. For Agro-Forestry
Practices to Enhance Resource-Poor Livelihood Project (APERL). Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources
and Faculty of Forest Resources Technology, KNUST, Kumasi, Unpublished
Document.
Obiaw, E. (2004) The National Bushfire Strategy and
Wildfire. In: Millar, D., Apusigah, A.A. and Berinyuu, A., Eds., The Chief, the Forestor and the Fireman: Proceedings
of the Bushfire Workshop of February 2004, UDS/Care
International, Tamale, 51-59.
He, C.C. (2002) Foreword. In: Moore, P., Ganz, D., Tan, C.L., Enters, T. and Durst, B.P., Eds., Communities in Flames: Proceedings of an International Conference
on Community Involvement in Fire Management, RAP Publication
2002/25, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, 38-56.
Kieft, J. and Nur, A. (2002)
Community-Based Disaster Management as a Response to Increase Risk to Disaster
with Emphasis on Forest Fire. In: Moore, P., Ganz, D., Tan, C.L., Enters, T.
and Durst, B.P., Eds., Communities in Flames: Proceedings of an International
Conference on Community Involvement in Fire Management, RAP
Publication 2002/25, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok,
57-73.
Goldammer, G.J., Frost, H.G.P., Jurvelius, M., Kamminga,
M.E., Kruger, T., Moody, I.S. and Pogeyed, M. (2002) Community Participation in
Integrated Forest Management: Experiences from Africa, Asia and Europe. In:
Moore, P., Ganz, D., Tan, C.L., Enters, T. and Durst, B.P., Eds., Communities in Flames: Proceedings of an International Conference
on Community Involvement in Fire Management, RAP
Publication 2002/25, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok,
74-91.
Fire Fight West Africa (2003)
Workshop Report on Pre-Project Workshop on Fire Fight, Kumasi, Ghana. Sponsored
by International Tropical Timber (ITTO) and Organised by the World
Conservation Union (IUCN).
Brody, D.S. (2003) Measuring the
Effects of Stakeholder Participation on the Quality of Local Plans Based on the
Principles of Collaborative Ecosystem Management. Journal of Planning, Education
and Research, 22, 407-419. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0739456X03022004007
Westley, F. (1995) Governing
Design: The Management of Social Systems and Ecosystems Management. In: Gunderson,
L., Holling, C.S. and Light, S.S., Eds., Barriers
and Bridges to the Renewal of Ecosystems and Institutions, Columbia University Press, New
York, 391-427.
Yaffee, S., Ali, P., Frentz, I., Hardy, P., Maleki, S. and
Thorpe, B. (1996) Ecosystem Management in the United States: An Assessment of
Current Experience. Island Press, Washington DC.
Duram, L. and Brown, K.
(1999) Assessing Public Participation in U.S. Watershed Planning Initiatives. Society and Natural Resources, 12, 455-467. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/089419299279533
McCool,
S. and Kathleen, G. (2001) Mapping the Dimensions of Successful Public
Participation in Messy Natural Resources Management Situations. Society and Natural Resources, 14, 309-323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/713847694
Brechin, S.R., West, P., Harmon,
D. and Kutay, K. (1991) Resident People and Protected Areas: A Framework for Inquiry.
In: West, P. and Brechin, S.R., Eds., Resident Peoples and
National Parks: Social Dilemmas and
Strategies in International Conservation, The
University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 5-28.
Innes, J.
(1996) Planning through Consensus Building: A New View of the Comprehensive
Planning Ideal. Journal of American
Planning Association, 62, 460-472. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944369608975712
Castro,
P.A and Nielsen, E. (2001) Indigenous People and Co-Management: Implications
for Conflict Management. Environmental
Science and Policy, 4, 229-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1462-9011(01)00022-3
Orgle, T.K. (2000) Wildfire
Management Project in the Transitional Zone of Ghana. Project Document for the
Natural Resources Management Programme (NRMP). Royal Netherlands Embassy, and
Ministry of Lands and Forestry, Accra.
Amissah, L.
(2008) Indigenous Fire Management Practices in Ghana. Traditional
Forest-Related Knowledge and Sustainable Forest Management in Africa. IUFRO
World Series Vol. 23.
Hall, J.B. and Swaine, M.D. (1981)
Distribution and Ecology of Vascular Plants in a Tropical Rain Forest: Forest
Vegetation in Ghana. W. Junk, The Hague. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8650-3
Adhikari,
R.J. (2001) Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Nepal with Reference
to Community Forestry: A Gender Perspective. Journal of the Environment, 6, 9-22.
FAO
(2007) Fire Management—Global Assessment 2006. A Thematic Study Prepared in the
Framework of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005. FAO Forestry Paper
151, Rome.
FAO (2009) Forest Fires and the Law:
A Guide for National Drafters Based on the Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines.
FAO Legislative Study 99. www.fao.org/docrep/011/i0488e/i0488e00.htm
Zhang, L.C., Wu, L., Zhao, Y.Q. and Lu, C.Z. (2003) Community-Based Forest Fire Management in Wenyime Village,
Sanchahe Township, Dayao Country, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Forest
Resources Development Service, Working Paper FFM/2. RAP Publication 2003/08.
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok.
Dampha, A. (2003) Management
of Forest Fires through the Involvement of Local Communities: The Gambia.
Forest Resources Development Service, Working Paper FFM/2. RAP Publication
2003/08. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok.
Alvarado,
A.C., Rosales, E.S. and Aguilar, S.A.M. (2003) Management of Forest Fires and
the Participation of Local Communities. Forest Resources Development Service,
Working Paper FFM/2. RAP Publication 2003/08. FAO Regional Office for Asia and
the Pacific, Bangkok.
Nanda, K.P. and Sutar, C.P. (2003) Management of Forest
through Local Communities: A Study in the Bolangir, Deogarh and Sundergarh
Districts of Orissa, India. Forest Resources Development Service, Working Paper
FFM/2. RAP Publication 2003/08. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific,
Bangkok.
London, S. (2003) Community-Based Fire Management in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Past,
Present and Future. Forest Resources Development Service, Working Paper FFM/2.
RAP Publication 2003/08. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok.
Kurtulmuslu, M. and Yazici, E. (2003) Management of Forest
Fires through the Involvement of Local Communities in Turkey. Forest Resources
Development Service, Working Paper FFM/2. RAP Publication 2003/08. FAO Regional
Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok.
