TY - JOUR
T1 - Revisiting illegal logging and the domestic timber market
T2 - the case of Ghana
AU - Hansen, Christian Pilegaard
AU - Damnyag, L.
AU - Obiri, B.D.
AU - Carlsen, Kirsten
PY - 2012/3
Y1 - 2012/3
N2 - The paper assesses the size of 19 lumber markets in Ghana based on monitoring of vehicles carrying lumber to the markets. The paper suggests an annual supply of approximately 1 million m 3 of lumber to the 19 markets. 80% is illegal chainsaw lumber. The sales are predominantly for domestic consumption, but a share goes for export to neighbouring countries. Considering markets and sales not covered by the study and allowing for inter-market exchanges, the paper suggests that the annual sales for domestic consumption and overland export may be in the order of 1.4 million m 3. Added formal export sales of 0.5 million m 3, total annual wood sales approaches 1.9 million m 3 which corresponds to approximately 6 million m 3 raw wood equivalent. This is six times the annual allowable cut. The paper confirms that around-the-clock market monitoring of wood-transporting vehicles is a reliable and feasible method for estimating the size of domestic market, and a method that could find further applications. The large informal sector beg questions as to the effectiveness of the current measures under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative in addressing illegal logging in Ghana, and the paper suggests a need for a deeper policy reform process.
AB - The paper assesses the size of 19 lumber markets in Ghana based on monitoring of vehicles carrying lumber to the markets. The paper suggests an annual supply of approximately 1 million m 3 of lumber to the 19 markets. 80% is illegal chainsaw lumber. The sales are predominantly for domestic consumption, but a share goes for export to neighbouring countries. Considering markets and sales not covered by the study and allowing for inter-market exchanges, the paper suggests that the annual sales for domestic consumption and overland export may be in the order of 1.4 million m 3. Added formal export sales of 0.5 million m 3, total annual wood sales approaches 1.9 million m 3 which corresponds to approximately 6 million m 3 raw wood equivalent. This is six times the annual allowable cut. The paper confirms that around-the-clock market monitoring of wood-transporting vehicles is a reliable and feasible method for estimating the size of domestic market, and a method that could find further applications. The large informal sector beg questions as to the effectiveness of the current measures under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative in addressing illegal logging in Ghana, and the paper suggests a need for a deeper policy reform process.
U2 - 10.1505/146554812799973181
DO - 10.1505/146554812799973181
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1465-5489
VL - 14
SP - 439
EP - 455
JO - International Forestry Review
JF - International Forestry Review
IS - 1
ER -