Ghana : Indicators

There are no maps showing ownership of forest land and resource rights, such as the areas of timber utilisation contracts (TUCs). There are maps of gazetted forest reserves with plotted coordinates, which can be obtained in hard copy from district Forest Services Division offices. Some digital maps of the reserves can also be obtained from the Resource Management Support Centre in Kumasi. These maps do not show ownership of the lands, but some indicate the names of the TUC holders.

In practice, ownership of forest reserves is notional and there are local disputes in various communities between different claimants to a piece of land, most of who usually have site plans and maps of various kinds which are not necessarily codified. There are frequent newspaper reports on disputes arising from unclear tenure arrangements.

In 2011 it was reported that the Forestry Commission had received grants from Japan to conduct detailed land use maps and also develop a map for all the forest areas in Ghana. They conducted an aerial mapping leading to a complete view of all the forest areas. At the time of this assessment, the information was being analysed and a ground inventory was also being undertaken. It is expected that the report would be completed by April 2013.