Rosewood Face Risk of Extinction in Northern Ghana

Rosewood belongs to a category of hardwoods to any number of fine-grained lumbers. They are often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. Rosewoods are come strong and heavy, finishing with excellent polish, and usually suitable for guitars, chess pieces, handles, furniture, luxury flooring, just to name a few. True rosewoods which is appreciated in the western world come from the wood of Dalbergia nigra, which is listed endangered according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The timber market in Asia and other destinations recognize other rosewoods like Pterocarpus erinaceous; because of its similarity to true rosewoods. This tree is found in Ghana and particularly in the northern regions. The Gonja's call it Gyankelia. Some species become canopy trees (up to 30 m high). In the northern parts of Ghana, they grow up to about 20 m high. Globally, supplies for these hardwood lumbers are poor through overexploitation.

Recent pressure from the international timber markets, mainly from Asia and other destinations have resulted in an explosive, illegal and well-organized system of unsustainable chainsaw activity, permits, and exports of these precious hardwoods, though there is a national ban on the export of the commodity. To the extent that 64 export containers with rosewood got lost at the port after they were confiscated by the direct involvement of the Minister for Lands and Forestry. The question is, were these containers ever found, and who was responsible for their disappearance from the port?

In the northern regions of Ghana, particularly in the West and North Gonja Districts, illegal chainsaw operators and rosewood timber merchants have taken siege in the two districts, cutting down every rosewood they an find. The streets of the town are lined with long convoys of 40 footer trucks day in and day out, waiting to load rosewood and transport them in the dark of the night out of the main town, Damongo. In a week, more than 15 of such trucks can be counted and surely they all get their full load. There was a time I came across one such truck, dumping its logs on the main highway between Kintampo and Techiman, during an accident.

The modus operandi of these timber merchants is to come with permits to salvage valuable wood from the road construction activities currently on-going on the Fufulso-Sawla road. Salvage activities has now turned to the illegal felling of rosewood all over the two districts. These illegal chainsaw activities have extended even into protected areas such as Mole National Park, Keni-Keni Forest and Community Resource Management Areas in the two Districts.

According to an FAO report in 2010, estimated deforestation rates in Ghana, currently stands at 135, 395 ha per year. Two thirds of the country is already classified as savanna woodland. What is alarming is that, the deforested area is more than half the total area of Ghana. It is good to observe that government is continuously developing new national forest management programs, but unfortunately these amount to nothing as deforestation keeps soaring by the day, with savannah woodland ecosystems coming under siege from the activities of chainsaw operators and timber merchants. Policies and laws which protects fragile ecosystems, species and habits managed by both state and communities are seemingly toothless, leaving a few individuals to sabotage and plunder the natural resources of the country, with no end in sight. We have failed to match availability and management with exploitation, rigorous regulation and monitoring leading to the current rates of deforestation the country is facing.

I believe the law enforcement agencies, traditional leadership and Forest Services Division have seen the carnage that is been routed by these selfish timber merchants. The chainsaw activities are observed by Forestry staff and the 40 footer trucks seen in plain sight transporting their contraband goods. So how do these activities continue, to the extent they seem to increase with intensity on a weekly basis? Communities have little they can do, because even the state agencies responsible for enforcing the forestry laws of the country have refused to act or don't seem to have any power.

The looming environmental crisis from the effects of global warming and climate change makes it imperative that fragile ecosystems like the already dry semi-arid landscapes of the northern regions are secured. This will aid communities in northern Ghana build resilience and give them more options at adapting to the effects of climate change. These remnant forests dotted across the northern regions of Ghana play important ecosystem functions and services which in the face of global warming, anticipated droughts and floods presents an invaluable resource. They also have potential for many payment for ecosystem services (PES) initiatives and also stand to bring sustainable financial benefits from the global financing mechanism of Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries (REDD +). So many sustainable uses and management of forests and landscapes exist and can be explored for the benefit of people's livelihoods, biodiversity and climate. It is therefore suicidal and an infringement on people's rights to a sustainable environment, to sit down, watch, condone, and ignore the operations of illegal chainsaw activities in the northern parts of the country.

Rosewood, other wildlife species and fragile ecosystems face the risk of extinction in the northern parts of the country if state agencies responsible for regulation, monitoring and enforcement do not act with the urgency it deserves.

Daryl Bosu
Concerned Environmentalist