Management and Use of Non-Timber Forest Products (Ntfps) As Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in Lawra District, Ghana.

Abstract

Rural and deprived communities continue to face limited alternatives to supporting their livelihoods that are largely affected by climate change and variability. Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) have increasingly been promoted, especially in developing countries, as a sustainable livelihood option for forest resources dependent households. The current study sought to identify and assess the use and management practices of NTFPs as a climate change adaptation strategy in the Lawra District, in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study adopted a case study design with a mixed method approach to data collection. A combination of various data sets including 155 household survey and 5 key-stakeholder interviews with key field observations were used to have firsthand knowledge on the relative spatial distribution of NTFPs. Also, regression, correlations, chi-squares and cross-tabulations were used to established statistical relationships among various variables. Themes were generated using the matrix technique in Microsoft Excel from the in-interviews. The research results showed that over the last 30 years in the Lawra district temperature has increased from 25˚C in 2007 to 30.1˚C in 2014 with rainfall amounts reducing from 1170.6mm in 2008 to 937mm in 2014. According to the residents, this has led to reduced total output from crops yields. Among the adaptation strategies used by residents, NTFPs collection (39.4%) was the highest. Regression analysis showed that both temperature and rainfall were poor predicators of the availability of NTFPs. About 76 NTFPs (Plant and Animal) were identified in the district with Adansonia digitata (baobab), Vitellaria paradoxa (shea), Parkia biglobosa (dawadawa), Physalis peruviana (yellow berries) and Gardenia ternifolia (kazuge) being the most harvested. NTFPs are generally distributed all over the district and designated into parklands at locations where substantial amount of a species is dominant. NTFPS contributes only 1% of the total household annual income but remains significant in the varied non-traded roles

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including food supplement, medicine, employment, nutrition, and energy sources. Finally, the study established that the management of NTFPs included both formal and informal institutions, including participation of individual household members. The nascent NTFP industry in the Lawra district faces problems such as marketing and processing challenges and lack of specific policies on NTFPs management. The study recommends a collaborative effort from the government in ensuring local strategies are sustained and improved, increase education and sensitization programs on climate change whiles providing timely weather related information to farmers with agricultural inputs. Finally, the study calls for a nationwide consultation process to draft a national policy on NTFPs management which will provide strong basis for establishing a resilient value chain industry to support rural livelihoods against the impacts of climate change.