Ghana Country Report: REDD Readiness Requires Radical Reform
The Ghana dialogue on REDD-plus readiness was convened on 16 - 19 November 2009. The dialogue attracted a wide spectrum of local stakeholder groups and international participants from countries including Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon, Liberia, Kenya, Indonesia, Guatemala, Guyana, Nepal, Brazil, USA, Switzerland, Norway and United Kingdom. Participants visited a landscape located in Wassa Amenfi West District on the first two days and exchanged their learning and experiences regarding getting REDD ready in their own countries in a plenary and working group setting in the final two days.
The fundamental changes needed for sustainable forest management in Ghana have been known for years, and many large projects have been instigated accordingly. Yet real change has proved elusive. The key challenge now is to get REDD-plus right so that it makes a difference. Dialogue participants found that, at last, the time may be right for key improvements to be made. They also noted that Ghana has some key assets for moving forward on REDD-plus, including: an approved REDD-plus Readiness Preparation Proposal, which outlines proposed actions for REDD-plus and prepares the ground for a REDD-plus readiness plan; and a range of active government agencies and civil-society organizations. The dialogue identified five main challenges which are explored in the Country Report.