Tropenbos International Ghana

Tropenbos International Ghana aims at bridging the gap between forest policy, management and science; providing a forum for discussing forest issues; and carrying out relevant research and training. The objective of the programme is that forestry actors in Ghana deploy sound and adequate information for poverty reduction policies that improve forest-dependent livelihoods and increase forest cover and services in rural areas.

The TBI Ghana programme focuses on the broad theme of forest dependent livelihoods in the High Forest Zone of Ghana, with special emphasis on governance for sustainable forest-related livelihoods. To this end, illegal logging, equity in forest benefit sharing and community rights and responsibilities in forest management are given attention.

Based on these priorities, TBI Ghana’s objectives are to ensure that poverty in rural communities is alleviated; forest-dependent livelihoods improved; forested areas sustained and used sustainably; and effective mechanisms put in place to support, evaluate, revise, harmonize and enforce existing laws and regulations. Within the country’s priority issues TBI Ghana jointly identified areas for action with stakeholders to improve sustainable forest management in Ghana.

TBI Ghana translates problems into research plans and projects and implements through local and international collaboration. Relevant information and knowledge emanating from research is shared with decision makers and other stakeholders to promote the practical application and adoption of information and knowledge into policy and practice. Communication and knowledge-based dialogue between forest stakeholders are therefore a key thrust of the programme. To ensure that relevant information on forest dependent livelihoods is generated and used, TBI Ghana supports institutional strengthening and training of both graduate and undergraduate students, mid-career professionals and offers internship opportunities to both national and foreign students to acquire on-the-job skills and experience. These strategies are carefully fashioned to ensure that they complement each other and in the process provide the necessary requirements for addressing a particular need of the forest sector.

Partners

At the national level, TBI Ghana works in partnership with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Forestry Commission, Forestry Research Institute of Ghana and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of KNUST. At the international level, the programme’s key partners include University of Amsterdam, Wageningen University and Research Centre, University of Freiburg and University of Twente.

Operation

The Goaso Forest District has served as the main research site of the programme, but forest-based livelihoods are widespread throughout Ghana, especially in the High Forest Zones, so field work for this type of research is carried out in different parts of the forest zones of Ghana.

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