Community Knowledge, Traditional Leadership, and Forest Conservation in Ghana

This study sought to explore the role of traditional leaders in forest conservation in Ghana as part of broader global sustainability efforts. Drawing on oral traditions from Edwenase in the Amansie Central District, media reports of the Dormaa Anti-Galamsey operation, and relevant scholarly works, the paper demonstrates the ambivalent role of chiefs as both custodians and exploiters of biodiversity. While the Kobiri River and sacred forests of Edwenase highlight the enduring significance of taboos, rituals, and ancestral lands, the unchecked spread of galamsey reveals the erosion of cultural authority and the monetization of communal resources. By contrast, the Dormaa case illustrates how chiefs can mobilize customary legitimacy and collaborate with state institutions to enforce environmental laws, with strong public support. The study concludes that sustainable forest governance requires bridging traditional authority with statutory structures to protect biodiversity, preserve cultural heritage, and strengthen Ghana's environmental policy framework.