A team of researchers from the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has organized a workshop in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional Capital, to discuss the findings of their research which focused on Adaptive Management of Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs).

The workshop, which was part of the Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reduction Project (GSLERP), was by supported the Forestry Commission of Ghana, in partnership with the Global Shea Alliance, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

According to the team lead from the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment of the University for Development Studies, Prof. Benard Baatuuwie, CREMA, is a concept initiated by the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana, and designed to foster collaborative and participatory wildlife management in the country. According to him, this approach involves communities reaching mutual agreements on the management of shared natural resources.

The Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reduction Project, GSLERP, aims at enhancing forest carbon storage across the Northern Savannah landscape by restoring degraded forests and Shea parklands while simultaneously promoting investments in the Shea value chain and empowering women.

The workshop, which was under the theme “Adaptive Management of Community Resource Management Areas,” saw in attendance, various stakeholders, including the Organization for Indigenous Initiatives and Sustainability Ghana (ORGIIS) and other non-governmental organizations.

The participants shared their respective plans and experiences aimed at enhancing forest governance, transparency, and the restoration of Shea parklands and degraded lands.

One of the key objectives of the workshop was to enable stakeholders to engage in discussions regarding the findings of the problem or potential identification phase for adaptive management.

Additionally, it aimed to gather input from participants, identify potential management alternatives or models, reach agreements on a potential model, share and discuss lessons learned, and collaboratively design a monitoring mechanism for the model's implementation.

The research findings unveiled significant challenges in the effective functioning of most CREMA Executive Committees (CECs) and the Community Resource Management Committees (CRMC), primarily attributed to weak governance.

Professor Bernard N. Baatuuwie, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment and the leader of the research team emphasised the critical nature of the CREMAs in managing resources such as forests, minerals, and wildlife, which hold substantial potential for livelihoods.

However, these resources face numerous challenges, including land degradation resulting from activities such as agriculture, mining, and the harvesting of plants like rosewood trees.
\
Professor Baatuuwie highlighted the existence of governing councils within CREMAs, responsible for safeguarding these resources. Nevertheless, the persistent challenges necessitate intervention.

He explained, “To address this, the government of Ghana, through the Forestry Commission, is undertaking various activities, including tree planting and capacity-building, to restore these CREMAs. However, UDS, specifically the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, as a Knowledge hub, is committed to uncovering existing information and generating new insights to enable sustainable resource management.”

To achieve this objective, Professor Baatuuwie elaborated that researchers engaged with stakeholders, including community members, NGOs, and government institutions operating within the landscape.

The aim was to identify challenges and collaboratively devise a management system to address these issues and enhance the resource's potential for the benefit of all stakeholders.