Abstract:
There has been the call to forge a synergistic relationship between
local ecological knowledge and formal institutions in the governance
of natural resources. How do informal institutions complement the
efforts of formal state regulation of natural resources? How does this
complementation foster a regularized human–wildlife interaction?
Adopting an ethnographic design, this study assesses the role of
institutional complementation in natural resource governance using
the case of Boabeng–Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in Ghana,
West Africa. We purposively selected 33 informants relevant to the
BFMS governance process. The study observes that the synergy
between formal and informal institutions strengthens wildlife protection
in BFMS and the surrounding villages. The usefulness of informal
rules is enhanced if appropriately complemented with a formal
institutional arrangement. Over time, it becomes necessary for informal
rules to grow in dynamism to depict the principles of collaboration,
inclusivity, and benefit arrangements
