Perceived synergy between deforestation and/or forest degradation and climate variability and change in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Ghana

Abalo Emmanuel Mawuli (), Peprah Prince, Appiah Divine Odame, Sarpong Belinda Serkyiwah Asante, Amankwaa Godfred and Nakoja Yagah
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Abalo Emmanuel Mawuli: Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Peprah Prince: Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Appiah Divine Odame: Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Sarpong Belinda Serkyiwah Asante: Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Amankwaa Godfred: School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South-Parks Road OxfordOX1 3QY, GB
Nakoja Yagah: Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, University of Ghana Business School, Legon

Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, 2017, vol. 5, issue 4, 40-56

Abstract: Perceptual studies on the environment and natural resources are important, if unsustainable use of these resources is to be abated. This paper unravels the hitherto unknown drivers of deforestation and/or forest degradation, and the causes of climate variability and change (CVC), by assessing their synergy based on participants self-reported cases in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Ashanti Region, Ghana. Drawing on the criterion and simple random sampling techniques to sample 360 respondents from 4 different communities and adopting the empiricist paradigm to derive trends and patterns in responses, this study demonstrated the bi-directional association between forest degradation and climate change. Results suggested that participants across the various socio-economic status fields were adequately informed, and knowledgeable about changes in climatic variables. Participants’ perceived the loss of forest, extinction of tree species and changing forest to savanna lands as indications of deforestation. Respondents with basic education and/or high school education adequately predicted that CVC factors influence decisions regarding forest removal compared with the uneducated. Removing one hectare of vegetation cover change per year (being it an increase or decrease in the area) (1 ha/year+/-/) or about three hectares (3 ha/year+/-), at a rate of 60%, and forest cover at rates of 57% were perceived as significant drivers of CVC. In recommendation, policies targeted at reducing forest degradation and deforestation and contributing to the fight against CVC in the Municipality should henceforth take into consideration the opinions of the indigenes in addition to scientific evidence in order to ensure the effectiveness of such policies.

Keywords: perception; climate variability and change; deforestation; Ejisu-Juaben Municipality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:enviro:v:5:y:2017:i:4:p:40-56:n:4

DOI: 10.1515/environ-2017-0019

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