Community-based forest monitoring for REDD+ MRV in the Ansaka Conservation Area, Ghana

Abstract

A community-based monitoring (CBM) approach creates a working relationship between scientists, resource managers and local communities to address natural resource problems. This study analyses CBM data from Ankasa Conservation Area (ACA), Ghana, and assesses how such a CBM model fits into the national Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system for REDD+. Satellite imagery was used to generate land cover change maps for the different land use categories in ACA. A checklist of deforestation and forest degradation-related activities was designed with inputs from study communities. Nominated community members were trained to collect the data. The land use categories identified in the study area include closed forest, open forest, farmland, bare area, and grassland. The remote sensing data revealed significant land use and land cover changes in the periphery of ACA between 1990 and 2014. Closed forest and open forest areas recorded 28.6% and 35.0% reductions respectively. Data from the CBM showed that cash crop farms and plantations (rubber and coconut) account for the sharp increase (479.9%) in farmlands. The predominant sighting of rodents by community monitors reinforced the deforestation and forest degradation findings in the ACA periphery. A participatory MRV system is essential for the success of REDD+ interventions. With little training, local people can collect forest condition data that are of interest to REDD+ implementation and international policies related to climate change.