Economics of Community Participation

Forest restoration is not new in Ghana. The participation of community members in forest restoration has been identified as an integral factor in any successful forest restoration project. The study assessed the economics of community participation in the restoration of Bobiri forest reserve in Kubease, in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Data was collected from a sample of 400 respondents in the community of Kubease through a simple random technique. It was realized from the study that, all respondents (100%) enjoy some benefit(s) from the forest reserve. The benefits range from household ones (53.75%) to commercial (19.25%), traditional or cultural (6%) and environmental protection purposes (21%). The results showed that majority (87.25%) of the respondents were willing to contribute participation fees for the restoration of the Bobiri forest reserve (BFR). About 34% of the respondents contributed a participation fee ranging from GH¢1 – GH¢4 and majority (54%) contributed a participation fee ranging from GH¢5 – GH¢100.