Neither Fast, Nor Easy: He Prospect of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) in Ghana
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Date
2009Author
Hansen, CP
Lund, JF
Treue, T
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
On the basis of a detailed case study of the High Forest Zone of Ghana, the paper challenges the common narrative of REDD as being fast and easy. The paper analyses proximate and underlying causes of deforestation and degradation and finds that these processes are driven by multiple underlying causes. The paper goes on to argue that the causes of deforestation and degradation that are found within the realm of the forestry sector, to which REDD measures will be largely confined, have emerged as a result of a political economy that gives priority to economic development over forest conservation, while at the same time allowing powerful interest groups, in particular the political and administrative elite, to financially benefit from resource depletion. The analysis suggests that forest conserving policy reforms are unlikely to come fast and easy, and that the prospect of future REDD payments may not accelerate them. It is argued that the case of Ghana is not unique and that REDD implementation may face similar constraints in many developing countries.
URI
http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1505/ifor.11.4.439http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/51618
Citation
Hansen, C. P., Lund, J. F., & Treue, T. (2009). Neither Fast, Nor Easy: He Prospect of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) in Ghana. International Forestry Review, 11(4), 439-455.Publisher
University of Nairobi, Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies
Subject
causes of deforestation and forest degradationforest governance
political economy
REDD policies and measures
readiness