Impact Assessment of the EU Chainsaw Milling Project in Ghana

2014

English

This impact assessment report presents results of the European Union (EU) and Tropenbos International (TBI) Chainsaw Milling being implemented in Ghana. The project is part of larger forest governance policy initiative on tropical forest and other forests in developing countries. It was initiated in response to growing and persisting challenges associated with chainsaw milling activities in developing countries. The thriving business of chainsaw milling continues to engage attention of policy makers and diverse stakeholders who are looking for appropriate measures to reverse its trend and improve forest governance. It is reported that the activity though illegal continuously employs and provides options for livelihoods of several people as in the case of Ghana. According to Marfo (2010), Chainsaw milling activities accounts for about 84% of lumber supplied to the domestic timber market with an estimated 497,000 m3 and a market value of about GHC 279 million. Several policy measures have been developed to reverse its development albeit with little or no success.

Marfo, E.; Bosu, P.; Dumenu, W. K.; Samar, E. N. S. B.; Agyei, F. K.; Appiah, D. O.; Frimpong, C.; Appiah, N.