Charcoal Production Monitoring

Charcoal production degrades environmental services through forest degradation, soil fertility loss, erosion, biodiversity loss, wildfires, and air quality. In Ghana, like in most West African countries, charcoal is the major fuel for domestic cooking in urban areas, produced by rural communities in areas normally under the administration of traditional and district authorities. These local communities and authorities lack adequate information to address the negative environmental impacts caused by charcoal production. Although non-state actors such as A Rocha and Solidaridad are supporting initiatives to strengthen community capacity to engage in policy discussions and participate in land use planning, the information gap persists. Effective mechanisms for sharing information about charcoal production are required at the national, district and community level.