EFFECTS OF SADA AFFORESTATION PROJECT ON LOCAL ECONOMIC TREE SPECIES IN THE NORTHERN REGION, GHANA

Abstract

Local tree species have been valued as the best sources of energy; income, food, medicine, shelter and other livelihood alternatives but they generally lack the protection and justice that they require. Environmental degradation, pervasive disingenuous policies coupled with environmental injustice have kept the sustainability of local economic trees into disrepute. SADA which was established to coordinate development initiatives in the savannah regions also executed afforestation projects which reduced rural farmlands and displaced some rural poor families who could not cope with rural land pressures. The main objective of the study was to examine the effects of SADA afforestation project on local economic trees in the northern region. Questionnaires were administered to 100 community members whereas interviews were granted to chiefs; women leaders, land custodians, and officials of EPA, SADA, MMDAs and Forestry Commission. The study revealed that the establishment of plantations will lead to the extinction of local tree species. The demise of local trees will limit rural livelihood alternatives of the rural poor. Rural people depend on natural resources because they do not have any other means of income. The study also found that SADA afforestation project did not survive in most of the communities because community members do not know the objectives of the afforestation project. The study also observed that community members did not take part in selecting the tree species for the plantation project. Major recommendations included the consideration of local economic and medicinal trees into the Forestry Commission for future afforestation projects and the establishment of financial credit facilities and valuechain mechanisms for local economic tree species. The study is open to further research due to its limitation to only four districts in the Northern Region of Ghana.