FORESTRY COMMISSION OF GHANA MINISTRY OF LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES Republic of Ghana REDD+ MECHANISM IN GHANA Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) UPDATED SESA REPORT Prepared by SAL Consult Ltd, P O Box GP20200, Accra, Ghana August 2016 SAL Consult Ltd Forestry Commission TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................................. II LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................................................... V ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................ VI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... IX 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 DEFINITION OF SEA .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE OF THE SESA STUDY ......................................................................................................... 2 2.0 REDD+ MECHANISM AND INDICATIVE STRATEGY OPTIONS .......................................................................... 3 2.1 BRIEF HISTORY- THE ROAD TO REDD+ .................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 BACKGROUND TO GHANA JOINING REDD+ ............................................................................................................... 5 2.3 THE PROBLEM OF DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION IN GHANA ....................................................................... 5 2.4 PROPOSED REDD+ STRATEGY OPTIONS FOR GHANA .................................................................................................. 6 2.5 OVERVIEW OF GHANA’S REDD+ READINESS PROCESS AND TIMEFRAMES UNDER FCPF ................................................... 13 3.0 THE SESA METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH................................................................................................ 14 3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 14 3.2 THE SESA PROCESS/CONTENT ............................................................................................................................. 14 3.3 STEP 1: PREPARATION ......................................................................................................................................... 14 3.3.1 Background .......................................................................................................................................... 14 3.3.2 Project kick-off and Inception Stage Reporting .................................................................................... 16 3.3.3 Revision and Acceptance of SESA Work Plan ....................................................................................... 16 3.3.4 Mobilisation for Field Work ................................................................................................................. 19 3.3.5 Participation in the preparation of the ER-PIN .................................................................................... 19 3.4 STEP 2: SCOPING AND SITUATION ASSESSMENT/BASELINE STUDY................................................................................ 19 3.4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 19 3.4.2 Activities ............................................................................................................................................... 20 3.4.3 Key Literature Consulted ...................................................................................................................... 20 3.4.4 Initial Stakeholder Consultations ......................................................................................................... 21 3.4.5 Spatial Analysis for Forest Cover Trends .............................................................................................. 22 3.4.6 Case Study ............................................................................................................................................ 24 3.4.7 Preparation and Submission of Scoping Report ................................................................................... 24 3.5 STEP 3: ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 24 3.6 STEP 4: INDICATORS, MONITORING AND EVALUATION PROPOSAL ................................................................................ 26 3.7 STEP 5: REPORTING, LEARNING AND COMMUNICATION ............................................................................................. 26 3.8 THE SESA STUDY ORGANIZATION ......................................................................................................................... 27 4.0 LEGAL, POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS ................................................................................... 29 4.1 OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................................................... 29 4.2 NATIONAL POLICIES AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................... 29 4.2.1 The 1992 Constitution of Ghana .......................................................................................................... 31 4.2.2 Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) ................................................................ 32 4.2.3 Land Policies and Regulations .............................................................................................................. 32 4.2.4 Forest Policies and Regulations............................................................................................................ 35 4.2.5 Agricultural Policies and Regulations ................................................................................................... 39 4.2.6 Mining and Mineral Policies and Regulations ...................................................................................... 40 4.2.7 Energy Policies and Regulations .......................................................................................................... 41 4.2.8 Water Policies and Regulations ........................................................................................................... 44 4.2.9 Environmental Protection & Assessment Policies and Regulations ..................................................... 45 4.2.10 Investment, Employment, Labour, Safety, Gender, Local government, Chieftaincy and others ..... 46 Updated SESA Report. SESA for REDD+ Mechanism in Ghana. August 2016. Page ii SAL Consult Ltd Forestry Commission 4.3 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................................ 50 4.3.1 Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources ............................................................................................ 50 4.3.2 Ministry of Finance (MoF) .................................................................................................................... 50 4.3.3 Forestry Commission ............................................................................................................................ 51 4.3.4 Lands Commission................................................................................................................................ 51 4.3.5 Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) ............................................................................... 51 4.3.6 Minerals Commission (MC) .................................................................................................................. 52 4.3.7 Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation ........................................................... 52 4.3.8 Environmental Protection Agency ........................................................................................................ 52 4.3.9 FORIG ................................................................................................................................................... 53 4.3.10 COCOBOD and CRIG ........................................................................................................................ 53 4.3.11 Ministry of Food and Agriculture .................................................................................................... 53 4.3.12 Water Resources Commission (WRC) .............................................................................................