Parks and reserves of Ghana : management effectiveness assessment of protected areas

Protected areas in Ghana cover 5.6% of the country and are of economic importance as they contribute to improving standards of living of communities surrounding them. However, these protected areas are subject to pressures and threats, the main ones being poaching, bush fires and land conversion due to farming or grazing around or within the protected areas. There pressures and threats increase the protected areas’ vulnerabilities. Globally, human, financial and technical means remain insufficient to efficiently manage the activities of protected areas. This study makes recommendations for improving management effectiveness of the protected areas.