Juaboso-Bia HIA Management Board; Asunafo-Asutifi HIA Management Board; Volta and Oti Region Association of Beekeepers (VORAB)
The forests we depend on are under threat. Deforestation and environmental degradation are not just abstract issues -- they are personal and deeply impactful to our communities. The forest is more than just a resource; it is our lifeblood, shaping our cultures, sustaining our livelihoods, and connecting us to the Earth. As deforestation advances at an alarming pace, REDD+, and more recently jurisdictional REDD+ (national and subnational programs to reduce deforestation) offer communities like ours a path to mitigate climate change while channeling finance to support sustainable development in our communities.
Ghanaian Communities Connected to the Forest
Each of our connections to the forest are deeply personal and begin with our earliest memories. Walking through large tracts of forest to reach our cocoa farms was a daily routine. The forest provides us with essential resources, including food, a stable climate, and ensuring water availability. Our passion for forests has inspired our own environmental conservation pursuits. Collectively, we have engaged in activities including beekeeping, climate-smart farming, awareness creation of wildlife conservation, promoting tree planting, and anti-bushfire campaigns. Living in a country affected by the impacts of climate change, we are readily aware of how preserving our forests is crucial not only for our own survival but also for the future of the entire planet.
The Impact of Deforestation
Deforestation has already taken a heavy toll on our communities. Illegal mining and logging, infrastructure development, unsustainable cocoa farming expansion, and forest fires have cleared the forests, leading to unpredictable rainfall patterns, poor crop yields, and the extinction of species. We have seen how deforestation has dried up water bodies, erased sacred cultural sites, and devastated wildlife. These losses are not just environmental -- they threaten our livelihoods, our heritage, and our future.
The loss of forests has reduced our access to wild forest products, disrupted traditional cultural practices, and strained the broader ecosystem, leading to poor water quality and availability for many communities. Sustainable, climate-smart cocoa farming that focuses on higher yield without further deforestation is our main source of income but without the forest, the water, and the climate stability it provides, there will be no cocoa. We need the forest to survive. Our communities are working on improved, sustainable agricultural practices to reduce land clearance for farming and employing practices that support forest and biodiversity protection and conservation.
How Jurisdictional REDD+ Is Helping Our Communities
National programs to reduce deforestation offer a powerful tool to halt and reverse deforestation trends and secure a sustainable income for forest peoples. Through these programs, we have gained a deeper understanding of the drivers of deforestation, and it has empowered members of our community to pursue further interest in their natural resources in terms of rights, access, and land use planning. We see programs as a way for local communities to benefit economically from forest conservation while assuring international stakeholders of meaningful returns on their investments in climate protection.
REDD+ is a game-changer for the cocoa industry. It has enabled us to be climate smart, improve yields, and reduce deforestation to enable us to receive results-based payments to enhance our socio-economic well-being. Our communities benefit greatly from REDD+ payments, receiving both farm and community benefits such as potable water, school renovations, and health center improvements. Additionally, we now receive more training, such as in the use of personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of injury, and in the safe handling of agro-chemicals.
The collaboration between our communities and various stakeholders has led to significant progress in reducing deforestation and safeguarding forests. According to government data, thanks to REDD+ actions Ghana has successfully reduced emission with evidence of verified emissions of 972,456 tons of CO2 in 2019 (June to December 2019) and 3,379,161 tons of CO2 for 2020/2021 under the Ghana-World Bank emission reductions program. Some of the national programs to reduce deforestation we have participated in have ensured that women, youth, and marginalized groups are included in the design and implementation of REDD+ actions, strengthening environmental and social safeguards.
A Call to Action for the Private Sector
We cannot sustain forest protection initiatives alone. Our communities require support from external actors, including international corporations. We call on these entities to provide technical and financial support, to drive change on the ground. Our communities play a crucial role in forest conservation, and with the right support, we can help achieve climate security for posterity.
Our message to global leaders, especially CEOs of major international corporations, is clear -- our communities contribute greatly toward forest restoration and conservation, but we need financial support to undertake sustained actions on the ground. We need you to invest in programs that support people, biodiversity conservation, and socio-ecological landscape management.
The forest is our past, our present, and our future. By embracing forest protection programs like REDD+, we can ensure that the forest continues to sustain us and the generations to come. Let us work together to make this vision a reality.
Nallice Afrakoma is member of Juaboso-Bia HIA Management Board.
Daniel Amponsah is chairman of Asunafo-Asutifi HIA Management Board.
Divine Odonko is president of Volta and Oti Region Association of Beekeepers (VORAB).