Community participation and sustainable forest management in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower Denkyira District: Community participation and sustainable forest management in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower Denkyira District

Community participation is central to the sustainable management of forest reserves. However, forest reserves in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower Denkyira District are disturbed by rural people even under collaborative forest management, which threatens forest sustainability. The study analysed the socio-economic importance of the reserves to the forest fringe communities, participation levels of the communities in reserve protection, and challenges stakeholders face in ensuring sustainable forest management (SFM). The study adopted a descriptive study design to assess community participation in SFM. Both simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the sample for the study. Questionnaire, interview schedule and focus group discussion guide were employed for the primary data collection. The main findings of the study were that forest fringe communities enjoyed some benefits from the forest but this was not enough. Their participation in SFM was only by upholding the forest by-laws. However, a major challenge was the farm raiding by elephants from the forest reserve. Community participation in SFM was at the 'lowest levels. Some of the challenges encountered by stakeholders in SFM were non-cooperation of community members and access restriction to forest resources. The study recommends that government should not only legally recognise forest ownership rights but also build the capacity of communities to allow higher community participation levels in SFM