Five hundred people drawn from forest fringe communities have undergone a five-day training programme to enable them to identify and report illegal logging activities and monitor timber harvesting operations.
The participants were also equipped with skills to track benefit-sharing arrangements and assess compliance with Social Responsibility Agreements (SRAs) under the Akofena Project, which seeks to strengthen community participation in forest governance and improve efforts to combat illegal logging in the country.
As part of the training, they were introduced to digital tools and reporting systems to enhance real-time monitoring and communication on forest-related activities.
The programme was organised by EcoCare Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with Civic Response, with funding support from UK International Development and Forest Governance, Markets and Climate.
Speaking at the training in Accra, the Project Lead of the Akofena Project, Mr Enoch Okyere Danso, explained that the intervention was designed to empower community members to play a frontline role in protecting forests, particularly in areas where livelihoods depended heavily on forest resources.
He noted that the programme was informed by earlier engagements with communities, which revealed concerns about illegal logging, weak transparency in timber operations and limited access to information on forest management decisions.
Mr Danso stressed that effective forest governance required strong collaboration between state institutions and local communities, adding that community-led monitoring would complement official enforcement efforts.
He explained that the five-year initiative under the Akofena Project was equipping participants with practical skills to independently monitor activities within Timber Utilisation Contract (TUC) areas, with a focus on transparency, accountability and community oversight.
Mr Danso further indicated that the project formed part of the broader “Holding Power Accountable in Forest Governance through Citizen Action” initiative, which promotes sustainable forest management while strengthening citizen participation in natural resource governance.
He added that the project was aligned with Ghana’s commitments under the FLEGT-VPA, which seeks to promote legal timber trade and improve forest law enforcement and governance systems.
Participants expressed optimism that the training would enhance their role in safeguarding forest resources and help ensure the fair distribution of benefits from timber operations within their communities.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
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