An Interpretation of Global HCVF Toolkit for use in Ghana May 2006 November 2005 Prepared By: Tim Rayden, Ishmael Jesse-Dodoo, Andhers Lindhe and Abraham Baffoe Contact: WWF-WARPO, PMB L.45, Legon, Accra Tel: +233-21-518710 Fax: +233-21-518709 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 4 2. Potential and actual HCVF………………………………………………………………..5 3. HCV 1 Globally regionally or nationally significant concentrations of biodiversity values.......................................................................................................... 5 3.1. HCV 1.1 Protected areas: ............................................................................... 5 3.1.1. Interpretation ............................................................................................. 5 3.1.2. Identification .............................................................................................. 5 3.1.3. Information sources ................................................................................... 5 3.1.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF .............................. 6 3.2. HCV 1.2 Forest that contain outstanding concentrations of threatened or endangered species .................................................................................................... 6 3.2.1. Interpretation ............................................................................................. 6 3.2.2. Identification .............................................................................................. 6 3.2.3. Information sources ................................................................................... 7 3.2.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF .............................. 8 4. HCV 2 Globally regionally or nationally significant large landscape level forests 9 4.1.1. Interpretation ............................................................................................. 9 5. HCV 3 Forest areas that are in or contain rare threatened and endangered ecosystems ...................................................................................................................10 5.1.1. Interpretation ...........................................................................................10 5.1.2. Identification ............................................................................................11 5.1.3. Information requirements ........................................................................11 5.1.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF ............................12 6. HCV 4 Forest areas that provide basic services of nature in critical situations 13 6.1. HCV 4.1 Forest critical to water catchments................................................13 6.1.1. Interpretation ...........................................................................................13 6.1.2. Identification ............................................................................................13 6.1.3. Sources of Information .............................................................................13 6.1.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF ............................14 6.2. HCV 4.2 Forests critical to erosion control ..................................................14 6.2.1. Interpretation ...........................................................................................14 HCVF National interpretation toolkit for Ghana 2 6.2.2. Identification ............................................................................................14 6.2.3. Sources of information .............................................................................14 6.2.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF ............................15 6.3. HCV 4.3 Forests providing barriers to destructive fire ................................15 6.3.1. Interpretation ...........................................................................................15 6.3.2. Identification ............................................................................................15 6.3.3. Sources of information .............................................................................16 6.3.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF ............................16 6.4. HCV 4.4 Forests that play a critical role in local climate regulation ...........17 6.4.1. Interpretation ...........................................................................................17 6.4.2. Identification ............................................................................................17 6.4.3. Information sources .................................................................................17 6.4.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF ............................17 7. HCV 5 Forest areas fundamental to meeting basic needs of local communities 18 7.1.1. Interpretation ...........................................................................................18 7.1.2. Identification ............................................................................................18 7.1.3. Information sources .................................................................................19 7.1.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF ............................20 8. HCV 6 Forest areas critical to local communities traditional cultural identity 20 8.1.1. Interpretation ...........................................................................................20 8.1.2. Identification ............................................................................................21 8.1.3. Sources of information .............................................................................22 8.1.4. Suggested management priorities for potential HCVF ............................22 Annex 1 Workshop Participants ...................................................................................23 Annex 2 References and further reading .....................................................................23 Annex 3 The List of threatened fauna species in Ghana .............................................25 Annex 4 National Wildlife Conservation Regulations ..................................................27 Annex 5 National Forest Conservation Regulation ......................................................28 HCVF National interpretation toolkit for Ghana 3 1. Introduction This document is a summary of the outputs from a multi-stakeholder workshop jointly organised by WWF West Africa Regional Programme Office and ProForest in Accra, Ghana, in May 2006. It is an interpretation of the concept of High Conservation Value Forest, as it is outlined in the High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) Toolkit1. All types of forests are unique and important and of conservation value but High Conservation Value Forests (HCVFs) are simply forests with outstanding significant values that are of critical importance, which needs to be appropriately managed or protected in order to maintain or enhance the identified values. Identifying areas of outstanding significant values is therefore an essential first step in developing appropriate management strategies for them. Although the HCVF concept was initially developed for use in forest certification, it is nevertheless, gaining wide acceptance as a practical tool for both forest management and land use planning. Two major strength of the concept are: - The adaptation for use as a practical tool for integrating biodiversity conservation into forestry and other land use practices. - The inclusion of social and environmental considerations into routine forest management operations even at the forest management unit level Apart from these two major strengths which make the HCVF concept an extremely useful tool for all forest managers, the concept as outlined in this document is in line with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification standards and the document thus should help forest managers interested in FSC certification in meeting the requirements of FSC Principle 9. There are six types of High Conservation Values (se appendix 6 of this document). These values have been generically identified and defined through an international process supported by certification schemes, NGO, industry, investors, donors and some governments. The international process led to the development of a global toolkit which provides guidance for developing a national HCVF document. A national interpretation of the HCVF toolkit is generally necessary because HCVs differ in regional and geographical contexts-their distribution also follows differences and uniqueness in ecosystems, species and landscapes. Therefore HCVF identified for Ghana for example, may be uniquely different from other countries in the sub-region and internationally. WWF and ProForest believe hat adoption and use of the HCVF concept in Ghana will help improve forest management practices in Ghana. 1 ProForest (2003) The High Conservation Value Forest Toolkit, Available from www.proforest.net HCVF National interpretation toolkit for Ghana 4 2. Potential and actual HCVF Throughout this summary we refer to the difference between potential and actual HCVF, and the problem of scale in prescribing specific management priorities. For each High Conservation Value (HCV) we have identified areas that represent potential HCVF. These are the areas in which this HCV is likely to be found and is likely