Leading Sustainability: Understanding Leadership Emergence in Community Resources Management Areas in Ghana

Authors

Nana Owusu-Ansah, Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission of GhanaFollow

Abstract

Community Resources Management Areas (CREMAs) establishment strategy in Ghana aims at putting some biodiversity rich communal lands belonging to families and traditional rulers under conservation. Community leaders play important roles in the success of the CREMAs conservation programmes to achieving the desired sustainability in the rural areas. This study applied phenomenological approach to collect qualitative data from community conservation leaders from three CREMA sites in northern Ghana. The major findings of the study showed CREMAs establishment origins vary from community initiated projects through interest group initiatives to cooperation between central government and community enterprises. Leadership emergence was found to be influenced by personal experiences, expected personal benefits and nominations from community members. Emerged leaders engaged state agencies and other external partners for technical and financial assistance in facilitating the establishment of CREMAs. Findings on decision making processes in the CREMAs suggested they were based on consultations. It is recommended that tailor made training programmes on leadership that emphasizes individual agency of responsibility to the CREMAs and their communities should be designed for those who emerge to lead.

Keywords

Collaborative Natural Resources Management, Leadership, Phenomenological Studies, Sustainability

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Nana Owusu-Ansah (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9951-9926) hails from Kumasi, Ghana and works with the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana. All through his working life he is engaged in renewable natural resource conservation. He is currently the Park Manager of the Gbele Resource Reserve located in the Upper West Region of Ghana. He holds a doctorate of management (DOM) degree from the Swiss Center Management University, Zug. He completed his postgraduate degree at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana with a Master of Arts in Environmental Management and Policy. He is an alumnus of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi with BSc. Natural Resources Management degree with specialization in Wildlife and Range Management. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: naduono74@yahoo.co.uk.

Publication Date

7-6-2020

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4512

Recommended APA Citation

Owusu-Ansah, N. (2020). Leading Sustainability: Understanding Leadership Emergence in Community Resources Management Areas in Ghana. The Qualitative Report, 25(7), 1766-1779. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4512