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| Racheal Opoku-Afriyie, MSc. BSc Forest Resource Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; MSc. Renewable Resources, McGill University. Email: racheal.opoku-afriyie@mail.mcgill.ca
Interests: Forest Conservation, Community-Based Natural Resource Management, Ecotourism, Environmental and Conservation Policies
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MSc. Thesis:
COMMUNITY-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN GHANA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AREAS (CREMAS) IMPACTS ON RURAL LIVELIHOODS IN MOLE NATIONAL PARK
Abstract
Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) has gained widespread attention globally and is now regarded as a participatory approach that balances resource management objectives with the socio-economic wellbeing of local communities. In Ghana, Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA) have been instituted as a CBNRM model that seeks to promote sustainable management of wildlife resources outside Protected Areas (PAs) by encouraging local community participation in resource management through the devolution of resource management rights. In Mole National Park (Ghana’s oldest and largest PA), CREMA seeks to balance biodiversity conservation with the livelihoods of communities through the provision of alternative livelihood programs. This study aims to assess the impact of CREMA on the livelihoods of communities around Mole National Park and the institutional factors that affect CREMA development and implementation. The study focused on analyzing livelihood impacts and institutional barriers to accessing CREMA benefits using a combination of the Sustainable Livelihood Framework and the Theory of Access. Based on household survey data (n = 110), focus group discussions with communities (n = 5) and key informant interviews (n = 11), this study reveals that participating in CREMA has not led to improved livelihood outcomes for local communities. Specifically, we found no significant difference in the financial, human and physical capitals of CREMA communities and non-CREMA communities. However, there was a significant difference in the natural capital of non-CREMA members and CREMA members (p-value = 0.001) with non-members having natural capital, indicating differences in resource access among the communities. The social capital of CREMA communities was slightly higher although the difference was not significant, and communities continued to rely on traditional livelihood strategies in conflict with conservation objectives. Community livelihood outcomes were mainly influenced by structural and relational mechanisms that shape the ability of communities to access potential CREMA benefits. The results suggest the need for improved CREMA frameworks that better integrate the livelihood concerns of participating communities to ensure equitable benefit sharing among households negatively affected by biodiversity conservation initiatives.
Awards and Scholarships:
McCall-MacBain Scholarship (2023 -2025)
Graduate Excellence Award (2023 – 2025)
McGill Graduate Mobility Award 2024
Publications:
Still to come.
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