Community Institutions in Resource Management: Agroforestry by Mobisquads in Ghana

38 Pages·2010·2.66 MB·English

FROM THE GROUND UP
CASE STUDYNO.3
Community Institutions
in Resource
Management:
Agroforestry by
Mobisquads in Ghana
ClementDorm-Adzobu
Okyeame Ampadu-Agyei
EnvironmentalProtection Council
MinistryofLocalGovernment
Accra, Ghana
PeterG. Veit
CenterforInternationalDevelopmentandEnvironment
WorldResources Institute
Washington, D.C., USA
Apri/1991
Editedby
. CenterforInternationalDevelopmentandEnvironment
WorldResources Institute, USA
J
Publishedin Kenya by
World Resources Institute (WRI)
CenterforInternationalDevelopmentandEnvironment
1709 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC20006USA
Tel.: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
Tlx.: 64414WRI WASH
and
Acts Press
African Centrefor Technology Studies (ACTS)
P.O. Box 45917, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel.: [phone],336603
Fax: [phone]; Tlx.: 22448 ACTS KE
Printed by English PressLtd.
P.O. Box 30127, Nairobi, Kenya
Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Communityinstitutions in resource management: agroforestry by mobisquads
in Ghana/ClementDorm-Adzobu, OkeameAmpadu-Agyei andPeterG. Veil.
- Washington, DC, USA: World Resources Institute and Nairobi, Kenya:
ActsPress, African Centre for Technology Studies, 1991.
(World Resources Institute (WRI) and African Centre for Technology Studies
.(ACTS) FromtheGroundUp CaseStudySeries; 3)
Bibliography: p.
ISBN 9966-41-022-8
Series Introduction
In 1987,theCenterfor International managementpolicies, influence the
Developmentand Environmentofthe allocation ofdevelopmentresourcesto the
WorldResources Institute, incollaboration grassroots, andfoster self-reliance and
withMrican developmentinstitutions and sustainability within the communities.
ClarkUniversity's International
DevelopmentandSocial Change Program) WRI'sFROMTHEGROUND UP case study
initiatedan ambitious programinMrica seriesis designedfor professionals inthe
known as FROMTHEGROUNDUP. The developmentcommunity- governmental
program seeksto increaselocal, national, andnongovernmental developmentand
and internationaldevelopmentassistance environmentplanners andfield workers,
institutions' capacityto strengthen international and national development
communitymanagementofnatural assistance officers, and concerned
resources inAfrica. The guidingbeliefof academics. The seriesisintendedto inform
FROMTHEGROUNDUPis thatimportant policy making, stimulate discussion on
insights canbegainedbyanalyzing environmentanddevelopment, and assist
effective community-level effortsin natural in trainingprogramsfor development
resource management. Inpracticalterms, officers.
the ideaistoidentifycommunitiesthatare
alreadypursuingecologically sound TheMrican Centrefor Technology
self-developmentandanalyzingthe reasons Studies(ACTS), basedin Nairobi, andWRI
for theirsuccess-localleadership,viable are collaboratingto publishtheFROMTHE
institutions, suitable technologies, etc. GROUND UP seriesfor distribution inMrica
and elsewhere. ACTSis a nonpartisan,
FROMTHEGROUND UP sharesthe results nonprofitinstitution establishedto conduct
ofits case studies and their policy policy and practicalresearchin technology
implic~tions with othercommunities, innovation andnatural resource
national policymakers, and the management. ACTS promotestheview
international developmentcommunity. thattechnological change,natural resource
Publications, conferences, workshops, management, andinstitutionalinnovation
trainingprograms, radio, andvideoare are crucialto sustainabledevelopmentand
usedto reach these audiences. Overthe shouldbe atthecore ofall development
longterm, thesefindings will promote efforts.
decentralized, small-scalenatural resource
Contents
Acknowledgments
vii
I. Introduction
3
II. Goviefe-Agodome: Agroforestryby
Mobisquad
5
LocationandEcology 5
LandUse Changes 8
Effective ResourceManagement 9
LimitationsandAdaptations . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
III. Core Elements of Effective Resource
Management
17
Viable LocalInstitutions. 17
ImmediateandSignificantProjectBenefits. 19
LocalKnowledgeofResource Management
Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Links to ExternalDevelopmentAssistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
IV. Implications and Recommendations
25
DecentralizationandNaturalResourceManagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Village-levelPlanningandAction 27
Locallnstitutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
V. Conclusions...................................................
33
References
35
v
Figures
Figure 1. MapofGhana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Figure2. Goviefe-AgodomeArea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 3. Goviefe-AgodomeMobisquadCooperative-
MembershipandProductionFigures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 4. AgroforestryFarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure5. Villagers HarvestingCottonon MobisquadFarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
vi
Acknowledgments
TheEnvironmentalProtection Council We extend ourthanksand appreciation
(EPC)ofthe MinistryofLocal Government to the Goviefe-Agodome chief, elders,
wishesto expressitsprofoundgratitudeto -queenmother, the leadership ofthe
the Centerfor International Development mobisquad andthe entire citizenryof
and EnvironmentoftheWorldResources Goviefe-Agodomefor receivingthe EPC
Institute(WRI)for the opportunitythe research staffin theirmidstand sharing
EPChasbeengiventobeinvolvedin the with us their experiences. We cherishthe
FROMTHEGROUND UP programin Ghana. frank and openwayin which discussions
The experienceswe acquiredin thefield wereheldandthe residents' unique
havebeen rewardingandhavefurther hospitalityandcooperation. Specialthanks
openedoureyesto the realities ofthe rural go tothe Goviefe-AgodomeResearch
situation. Our special thanks go to Thomas Committee, especially CharityBorge and
Fox, RaraPage, KirkTalbott, and Herbert Ken Kpaka,for theirimmeasurable
Acquay atthe Center, withoutwhom this contributions. We also wish to commend
projectwould nothave taken place. Funds the DepartmentofCommunity
for thisefforthave comefrom the Pew Development, ForestryDepartment, Ghana
CharitableTrustsand the United States Education Service, andMinistry of
Agencyfor International Development Agriculturefor theirassistanceinthis
throughtheFROMTHEGROUND UP research effortandthe EPC andWRI
program. support stafffortypingandretypingthis
report.
C.D-A
O.A-A
P.G.V.
vii
l
Goviefe-Agodome,VoltaRegion, a loeal • The agroforestryeffortsyield
self-developmentcooperativeinitiatedby immediatefinancial and other
thegovernmenthassuccessfullyturned benefitstothecooperativemembers
landthatwasconsideredinfertileinto andtheirhouseholds;
productivefarmlandthroughvarious
agroforestrypractices. Someoftheproceeds • The resourcemanagementactivities
from the communallyrunfarms areusedfor arelocallysustainableandinvolve
communitydevelopmentactivities;therest practicesandtechniquesfamiliarto
isdividedequallyamongmembers.The the members;and
cooperativehasemergedasthevillage's
mostactivecommunitydevelopment • The communityhasbenefitedfrom
institutioncapableofmobilizinglaborand itsaccessibilityto majorurbanareas
resources ofbothmembersand andhasreceivedmuchassistancein
nonmembers. itsdevelopmentactivities.
Fourelementscontributedtothe success The Goviefe-Agodomeexperiencehas
ofGoviefe-Agodome'scommunity implicationsfor thegovernmentofGhana
developmentefforts: andthe developmentassistancecommunity
concernedwithlocal-levelnat~ralresource
• Withthe supportoflocalleadersand management. Severalpolicyand
institutions,theactionsare programmingrecommendationsare
designed,implemented,and presentedinthelastsections ofthisreport
managedbya localorganization regardingpopularparticipationin
acceptabletothecommunity; communitydevelopment·andthe
government'songoingdecentralization
effort.
I. Introduction
l ~e
theearly 1900.,Ghana(then Gold real grossdomesticproductfor 1970- 80
Coast)was aWestAfrican centerfornew andanaverageannualdeclineof3percent
politicalthinkingandsocioeconomic inrealpercapitaincome (WorldBank 1989).
activities. OnMarch6, 1957,the"Black
Star"ofAfricabecamethefirstBritish On December31, 1981,FlightLieutenant
dependencyinsub-SaharanAfricatoattain JerryJ. Rawlingscametopowerforthe
independence. Manyhopeswerevestedin secondtime. Economic activityhadcometo
thenew PrimeMinisterKwameNkrumah a virtualstandstillbythen. The situation
andhisideascombiningAfrican socialism worsenedin 1982- 83,whenneighboring
and Pan-Africanism. ButNkrumahism did NigeriaandTogoexpelledmore than 1
notflourish for long;inFebruary 1966, millionGhanaiansanda severedrought
Nkrumahwasoustedinacoupd'etat. For andextensivebushfires·occurred. In 1983,
the next16years, several short-lived thegovernment,with supportfromthe
regimesgovernedthecountry(Babatope InternationalMonetaryFundandtheWorld
1984;Chazan 1983). Bank, entereda periodof"structural
adjustment" aimedatrestoringeconomic
Thispoliticalinstability,coupledwith growthbycurbingpublicexpendituresand
governmentmismanagementoffundsand rehabilitatingpublic/privateexport
severalpooragriculturalseasons,hada industriesandlocalproduction enterprises.
disastrouseffecton Ghana's Thesemeasureshavehelpedtoreducethe
postindependence,cocoa-dependent inflationrate(projectedat8percentin
economy. (Cocoafarmingfor export 1990)and, since 1984,maintainGDP
dominatesGhanaianagriculturalactivity growth atanannualratenear5percent
and, sincethe preindependenceperiod,has (WorldBank 1989).
beenthemaindeterminantofeconomic
growth.) Decliningexportearnings, ButalthoughGhana'seconomyhasbegun
increasingimportspending,andregular to stabilize, somemeasuresoftherecovery
budgetdeficitsledtospiralinginflationand program (forexample,reducedprice
a large externaldebt. Combinedwith an subsidiesanddecreasedrealwages)have
overvaluedcurrencyanda relianceon loweredlivingstandardsinruralareas.
energyimports,thesefactors contributedto About70percentofGhana'spopulation,
anaverageannualdecline of0.2percentin estimatedat15million(WRI 1990),liveand
workinruralareas. Small-scalefarmingis Goviefe-Agodomemobisquadhasbeen
a majorsourceoffood,jobs,income, and involvedinsuch communitydevelopment
governmentrevenue. Yet, theaverage rural activities astheestablishmentofan
incomepercapitaiswellbelowtheurban agroforestryfarm anda tree nursery. This
average, watersuppliesareinsufficientand studywasperformedtopinpointthebasic
unsafe,andtheruralinfrastructure (for reasonsfor the successofthese self-help
instance,transport,communication,and sustainable developmentpractices. This
electricity)is sparse andfaulty. reportisintendedtohelpdecision-makers
ingovernmentandthedevelopment
ChairmanRawlingsrealizesboththe assistancecommunitydeveloppoliciesand
importanceofpopularparticipationin programsforimprovedlocal-levelresource
communitydevelopmentandgovernment's management.
limitedcapacityto reachthelargerural
population. Hehas triedto implement Ateamoftwoprofessionalsfrom the
democraticprinciplesastheyaffectpolitical EnvironmentalProtectionCouncil(EPC)
decision-making;hisstatedaimisto (MinistryofLocalGovernment)conducted
decentralizepowerandensurepopular theresearchwithtechnicalassistancefrom
participationinthe developmentprocess. theDepartmentofCommunity
To provide avehicleformassmobilization, Development,theGhanaEducationService,
thegovernmentcalledfortheestablishment theMinistryofAgriculture, andthe
ofseveralvillage-based"revolutionary ForestryDepartment. Alocalresearch
organs,"includingthe31stDecember committeeconsistingoffivelocalleaders
Women'sMovementandthevillage representingfivevillageinstitutions
mobilizationsquad. These facilitated datacollectionbyorganizing
government-sponsoredlocalgroupsand villagemeetingsandidentifyingkey
othermore traditionalinstitutionsoperate informants.
in communitiesthroughoutGhana. Many
areinvolvedinactivitiesthathave The lO-dayfieldworkwasconductedin
improvedlocalsocioeconomiccircumstances April andMay 1989. Theresearch team
whilemaintainingthe naturalresource collecteddatathroughinformalhousehold
base. Numerous opportunities existfor the interviews, structuredquestionnaires,
developmentassistancecommunityand groupdiscussions, and directobservation.
governmenttoworkwiththesegroupson Virtuallyeveryhouseholdandtheleaders
buildingnewprogramsofself-help and severalmembersofthe mostvisible
development. localinstitutionswereinterviewed. To
collectadditionalinformation,the team
Afieldinvestigationwasundertakenin made several subsequentvisitsto
thevillage ofGoviefe-Agodome,Volta Goviefe-Agodome, whichiseasilyreachable
Region, toexaminethedevelopment from the capital ofAccra(160kilometers
initiativesofthelocalmobilizationsquad away).
(hereaftermobisquad). Since1986,the
4
II. Goviefe-Agodome: Agroforestry by
Mobisquad
~e
mobi,quadofGoviefe-Agodomeand Themeanannualrainfallis 58inches,
thecontextinwhichitworks are described dividedintotwo distinctwetseasonsfrom
below. Marchtomid-JulyandSeptemberto
November. The mean annualtemperature
is 79- 80degrees F (26- 27 degreesC).
Location andEcology
Thedrynortheasterlyharmattanwinds
blowfrom the Saharafor 6- 8weeks
Goviefe-AgodomeissituatedinHohoe beginninginDecember. Theregion, subject
District,VoltaRegion, onthemainroad toperiodicdroughts, experiencedsevere
linkingAccrawithBuemandKrachi conditionsmostrecentlyin 1976- 77 and
Districts, majorfood-producing areasofthe 1982-83.
VoltaRegion. Ho, the VoltaRegion capital,
is56kilometerstothe southeast;Hohoe, No surfacerivers orstreamsflow through
theHohoeDistrictheadquarters,is 70 ornearGoviefe-Agodome. Localresidents
kilometersnorth;andKpeve, thenearest havehadhelpfindingwater,however. In
markettown, is2kilometerssouth.(See 1989,forexample, aboreholewasdrilledin
Figures 1and2.) theneighboringcommunityof
Goviefe-KwowubyWorldVision
Goviefe-Agodomeis atthebase ofthe International(aU.S. privatevoluntary
Akwapim-Togo mountainrange. organization) andwasusedasa sourceof
Geologically,theareahasrocks, essentially waterforboth settlements. More
sandstone,withminorvolcanicintrusions important, anearthen damconstructedin
and ironstone concentrationsunderneath. 1985with supportfromtheUnitedStates
Themineral-deficientsandstoneweathers Agencyfor InternationalDevelopment
fairly easilyto producefine gravelly,redto (USAID)holds sufficientwatertomeetlocal
reddish-brownsoilsto depths of1meter needs.
withhighironcontent. The soilsareof!ow
tomediumagriculturalpotential. Theflatlands andfoothills of
Goviefe-Agodomearecharacterizedby
typicalsavannah grasslandvegetation.
/0
5