Wildlife Division (WD)
The Wildlife Division is one of the three divisions of the reconstituted Forestry Commission. It began as a branch of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for wildlife issues
| Release date | 07/05/2015 |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Prince James Quarcoo |
| Geographical coverage | Ghana, |
| Keywords | Wildlife,Division, |
The management of a wildlife conservation area is the responsibility of a Park Manager. He is supported by a Law Enforcement Officer, Tourism Officer and a Community Liaison Officer. In addition to these there should be a Park Biologist who will be responsible for both research and monitoring of biodiversity in the given protected area. At the national level there is a need for the creation of a biodiversity research and monitoring unit to initiate and coordinate adaptive research.
Protected areas play a key role in mitigating the impact of climate change e.g. through carbon sequestration. There is the need for expertise to oversee this aspect. Currently, the capacity for climate change impact assessment is lacking. Ecosystem services should also be evaluated in order to take advantage of the evolving carbon market, particularly the stock assessment and marketing strategies. In addition, training in remote sensing and mapping is necessary.
The urgent capacity building needs of WD are:
(a) Strengthening law enforcement capacity to safeguard the biological resources of the forest and protected areas that harbor them;
(b) Engaging and training park biologists and other research scientists and enhancing their capacities in adaptive research, monitoring and evaluation (especially of the less known fauna like the invertebrates). Particular attention should be given to the assessment of the conservation status of the biological resources and the establishment of the scientific bases for the sustainable use of biodiversity including genetic resources. Furthermore, the capacity for effective monitoring and evaluation aided by the use of appropriate technology such as remote sensing and mapping skills should be given due attention in order to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and review of management interventions. Attention should also be given to specialized skills such as herpetofauna, invertebrates and ornithology.
(c) Enhancing capacity for the development and management of the Ramsar sites in Ghana.
(d) Enhancing the capacity of the awareness creation unit In order to engender stakeholder support, particularly the local communities whose livelihoods depend directly on biological resources.