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Master’s thesis MA Degree How do cultural belief systems of sacred groves contribute to environmental conservation, and what are their specific threats? A case study of the Gua Koo sacred grove in Pokuase, Ghana Beatrice Dossah Instructor(s): Helga Ögmundardóttir Jón Geir Pétursson June 2021 How do cultural beliefs systems of sacred groves contribute to environmental conservation, and their specific threats? A case study of the Gua Koo sacred grove in Pokuase, Ghana Beatrice Dossah Final thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of a MA degree in Environment and Natural Resources Supervisors: Helga Ögmundardóttir and Jón Geir Pétursson 60 ECTS Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics School of Social Sciences, University of Iceland June 2021 How the beliefs systems of sacred groves contribute to environment conservation, and what are their specific threats? a case study of the Gua Koo sacred grove in Pokuase, Ghana. This final thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of a MA degree in Environment and Natural Resources. The thesis may not be copied in any form without the author’s permission. © Beatrice Dossah, 2021 Reykjavik, Iceland, 2021 Abstract Increased pressures on land resources in urban areas threaten sacred groves that have survived for centuries as people turn to sacred grove's lands to meet demands for settlement and infrastructure development. This study sought to understand how cultural belief systems of sacred groves are linked to environmental conservation and to identify the drivers that endanger such places using the case study of the Gua Koo sacred grove in Pokuase, Ghana. Findings from the research can help diverse stakeholders understand cultural systems of sacred grove management and use that as a foundation for developing a long-term management plan for biodiversity conservation in Ghana. The research used qualitative methods, involving the administration of semi-structured interviews with 21 interviewees. The interviews demonstrated that in the past, traditional taboos were used to restrict access to the grove and regulate resources. These included forbidden days of entry, social rules that promoted good extractive methods of resources, and fines system for individuals breaking the rules. Presently, although the belief systems are eroding, people still fear shrine areas in the sacred grove and hence abstain from polluting such areas for fear of repercussions from the deities. Again, the land ownership system in Ghana was identified as a major threat to the effective management and land use planning of the Gua Koo sacred grove. One of the key recommendations is that actions for the proper coordination between the custodians of the sacred groves and the public authorities should be improved in terms of land use planning near the forest. ii Preface My sincere thanks go to my supervisors, Helga Ögmundardóttir and Jón Geir Pétursson, for their guidance, encouragement and for critically reviewing my work, which has resulted in the successful completion of this study. I am also thankful to the The GRO Land Restoration Training Programme under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for their sponsorship of my Master’s Degree and for having sponsored this research. I also thank the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana for supporting my studies in Iceland. My thanks go to Moses Kweku Aryee and Simpson Amevade who helped in collecting the field data which has been crucial to the completion of this study. I am highly indebted to all the interviewees who allowed me into their private spaces or offices to interview them. I am greatly indebted to my family, Damien Gueroult for helping me proofread the research. Lastly, I am thankful to Nanna Skouboe Brandenhoff for showing interest in my work and accepting to collaborate with me on a children’s book which will illustrate this research in terms understandable by children and will hopefully teach children in Ghana and beyond about the importance of preserving our forests and ecosystems. iii Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... ii Preface .......................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................. vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................. viii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives of the research .............................................................................. 2 1.2 Research questions and the outline of the thesis ............................................ 3 2 A review of literature on sacred groves .................................................................... 4 2.1 What is a sacred grove? .................................................................................. 4 2.2 The role of religious actors in sacred grove management ............................... 5 2.3 Social, economic and environmental context of sacred groves ....................... 5 2.3.1 Provisioning services and educational services of sacred groves .............. 5 2.3.2 The ecological importance of sacred groves ............................................. 6 2.3.3 The social importance of sacred groves .................................................... 9 2.3.4 Tourism potential of sacred groves ........................................................ 10 2.3.5 Sacredness attributed to sacred groves .................................................. 11 2.3.6 Threats to sacred grove conservation ..................................................... 11 2.4 Environmental assessment in Ghana ............................................................ 15 2.5 Regulation on tree cutting in a forest reserve ............................................... 17 3 Description of the case study and its region. ........................................................... 18 3.1 The Greater Accra Metropolitan Area ........................................................... 18 3.2 History of Accra and the land tenure system in Ghana .................................. 20 3.3 The Ga North Municipality ............................................................................ 24 3.3.1 Geology and the soils of the municipality ............................................... 24 3.3.2 Climate, Hydrology and vegetation ........................................................ 24 3.3.3 Population ............................................................................................. 24 3.3.4 The Cultural practices of the native people of Pokuase. .......................... 25 3.3.5 Economic activities and Tourism in the municipality ............................... 25 3.3.6 Some challenges of the Ga North Municipality ...................................... 26 3.4 Description of the Gua Koo sacred grove and its importance ........................ 27 4 Methods and materials ............................................................................................ 31 iv 4.1 Qualitative method ....................................................................................... 31 4.2 Phases of the research method .................................................................... 32 4.2.1 Desk stop studies ................................................................................... 32 4.2.2 Interview guide and Semi-structured interviews ..................................... 32 4.2.3 Sampling ................................................................................................ 33 4.2.4 Interviewees .......................................................................................... 33 4.3 Participant observation................................................................................. 37 4.4 Data analysis................................................................................................. 38 4.5 Limitations and ethical considerations .......................................................... 39 5 Results ..................................................................................................................... 42 5.1 Belief systems and local protocols ................................................................ 45 5.1.1 Taboos and mystical beings ................................................................... 45 5.2 The cultural heritage of the people ............................................................... 52 5.2.1 Festivals and rituals ............................................................................... 52 5.2.2 History of the local people ...................................................................... 53 5.3 The importance of the Gua Koo sacred grove ............................................... 53 5.3.1 Provisional value of the sacred grove .................................................... 53 5.3.2 Educational value of the Gua Koo sacred grove ...................................... 55 5.3.3 The perceived aesthetic value and tourism potential of the sacred grove ....................................................................................................