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the timeless eco-logic of community forest management

abraham baffoe, foe ghana

security in diversity
Biodiversity encompasses life's tremendous variety, from microscopic genes to entire ecosystems. It is this diversity that makes it possible for living things to adapt to planet earth's hugely varied and constantly changing conditions. Biodiversity's benefits, enormous and varied, are pivotal to the stability of ecosystems. Forests ecosystems are especially critical because they represent 60 percent of the world's biodiversity.

Modern human activity has led to massive species extinction and a devastating loss of biodiversity. Apart from their critical ecological impacts, these extinctions are a tremendous waste of useful resources. Plant and animal species are wiped out even before their curative and other potentials can be identified.

ancient systems
In particular, the world's highly endangered primal forests are at the heart of biodiversity protection. But long before official organizations were established to carry out sustainable forest management and conservation, Africa and other parts of the world, including Asia and South America, had traditional community resource management systems. And until recently, they remained extremely effective.

A prominent feature of indigenous conservation systems is the setting aside of patches of forest by traditional authorities for sustainable resource use and the preservation of vital biodiversity. These areas have different names in different cultures, but are often referred to as sacred groves, fetish groves, local forests or community forests. Some such forests are designated as burial grounds for chiefs or as the home of local deities. But in most cases they are intended to protect watersheds, fragile ecosystems, and plants and animals of conservation importance to local communities.

Traditional authorities are usually the title holders of such areas, and exercise general administrative functions over them. But the management, defense and preservation of such lands are the responsibility of the entire community.

revered homes of spirits
Some such forests were (and still are) believed to be the abodes of spirits. Societies issued controls and sanctions to protect them, and these reserves are intact today in places where culture and traditional religions remain strong. In such reserves, the community forests or sacred groves now support a much larger variety of plant and animal life than do surrounding areas. They can be likened to fortresses of biodiversity, as the surrounding areas are often cleared of all woody vegetation through logging, farming and other human activities.

productive and priceless
Most community forests provide vital products and services such as building materials, timber products, fuel wood, fruits and nuts, bushmeat, snails, mushrooms, and most importantly, plants that are used as traditional medicines. Harvesting is strictly selective, controlled and allowed only at time intervals that benefit and satisfy the entire community. The community adheres to traditional norms and regulations governing the management of these forests, thus ensuring their sustainability. As a result, nobody from the community would knowingly set fire to this reserve or do anything to cause the forest's destruction.

beliefs protect and preserve
Local norms and beliefs governing sacred or fetish groves prohibit local people from harvesting forest products. Entry is allowed only on specific days or periods for the performance of rituals. Most such groves are believed to contain the “earth god” or spiritual beings that promote peace and prosperity and check antisocial behaviour.

Held in high esteem and obeyed by all community members, these beliefs ultimately ensure the forests' protection and conservation. These traditional conservation practices, particularly effective in most parts of Africa, have resulted in remnant patches of primordial forest even in densely populated areas.

when traditions fall apart
The religious fear instilled by traditional leaders to ensure preservation of sacred or fetish groves does not nullify the forests' immense ecological value. But modernization, urbanization and the spread of Christianity and Islam have weakened once revered traditional religions and cultures, changing belief systems in most communities.

Sadly, many of these sacred groves are being encroached upon and destroyed. Their precious resources are being exploited and depleted. Some sacred African groves have been cleared altogether, leading to a loss of livelihood for local communities that depended on forest resources for survival.

sheltering unique life
In Ghana, sacred and community forests that have contributed immensely to biodiversity conservation are also now under serious threat. Once found dotted throughout the different vegetation zones of the country, their presence ensured that endemic species restricted to that zone were protected from extinction. Remaining reserves include, to name a few, the Buabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, the Aketenchie Community Forest, and the Akyem Community Forest at Akyem Takyiman. The Buabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary is a Ghanaian forest of global importance, home to the endangered Mona monkey and other endangered animal and plant species. It has also become a major tourist attraction, generating revenue for local communities and the nation.

new paradigm needed
Now that the ancient beliefs that once protected forests are eroding, something must take their place. It would be beneficial to all those concerned with conservation if the sound principles of traditional beliefs could be translated into modern scientific strategies, sound ecological practice, and public communication techniques, to ensure that these invaluable primal forests are preserved.