Forest resources and context of Ghana

According to the FAO (2020) Ghana has around 7;9 million hectares of forested land, which constitutes to 35.0% of the total land area. Around 7.6 million hectares are primary or otherwise naturally regenerated forest, and around 297 thousand hectares are planted forest.

Land surface

22.8

million ha

Forest cover

7.9

million ha

Production forest

1.5

million ha

Forest ownership

100

% publicly

Forest lost

xxx

ha/year

Forest resources in Ghana

Types of forest

The Ghanaian forests broadly fall into two vegetation zones, each with different vegetation and forest types: the High Forest Zone in the South covering 34% and the Savannah Zone in the North covering 66% of the land area (MLNR, 2012).

According to the FAO (2020) Ghana has around 7;9 million hectares of forested land, which constitutes to 35.0% of the total land area. Around 7.6 million hectares are primary or otherwise naturally regenerated forest, and around 297 thousand hectares are planted forest. Ghana has approximately 2.6 million hectares of forest reserve land, of which 1.6 million hectares falls within the so-called High Forest Zone. Of these reserves 715,000 hectares have been dedicated for natural timber production, with the remainder under protection and plantation development. Apart from these reserves approximately 500 thousand hectares of unreserved forests as well as a further 2 million hectares of crop land also produce timber.

Forest ownership in Ghana

The ownership of the Ghanaian forest area can be divided among public land, stool land, family land and private land. However, the management of all forest resources including timber harvesting rights are administered by the Forestry Commission for benefit of the land owners. The management responsibilities of the Forestry Commission in relation to off-reserve forest resources are more limited as in relation to on-reserve areas. In off-reserve areas the Forestry commission is responsible for regulating, as opposed to managing, the utilization of forest and timber resources (ClientEarth, 2013a).

Need to analyse deforestation risk at plot level? — WHISP

Open Foris Whisp (“What's in that plot?”) is a free and open-source solution developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to support rapid, plot-level analysis of land use and deforestation risk. It combines geospatial datasets and satellite-based information to provide transparent insights for a specific location, helping users understand whether the area is forest, agricultural land, or potentially linked to deforestation or disturbance.

WHISP uses GPS points or plot polygons to perform an analysis based on multiple public datasets on forests and land use.

The aim is to identify plots that may present a potential deforestation risk and those for which further checks may be necessary.

→ Use WHISP online

→ WHISP documentation

Global Forest Watch Map

RISK SCORES

CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX (Transparency international)

Corruption Perception Index

/100

0 is highly corrupt, 100 is very clean.
Source: Transparency International

ILLEGAL DEFORESTATION AND ASSOCIATED TRADE (IDAT) Risk (Forest Trend)

59.20/100

00 is higher risk, 0 is lower risk
Source: Forest trend

SOURCING HUB RISK SCORE (Preferred by nature)

35/100

0 is higher risk, 100 is lower risk
Source: Preferred by nature

COUNTRY DEFORESTESTATION CLASSIFICATION LIST - EUDR (European Commission)

LOW risk category

For more information about the methodology, see here

Interpretation of Risk Indicators

The indicators presented in this country profile (CPI, IDIAT, Sourcing Hub, EU benchmarking) are macro indicators intended to support risk analysis. They do not constitute a uniform qualification of the country or of its operators.

The EU benchmarking system classifies countries according to their risk of producing commodities that are not deforestation-free. For countries classified as standard risk, operators must conduct full due diligence, including information collection, risk assessment, and risk mitigation.

A country classified as presenting a certain level of risk does not mean that trade is prohibited. Operators may still source from such countries, provided that risks are adequately mitigated. This may include prioritising certified supply chains or those verified by independent third-party audits. Moreover, risk levels can vary within a country: a specific supplier or supply chain may present a low risk even in a country classified as high risk.

In accordance with the EUDR (Articles 9 to 11), risk assessment must in all cases be carried out at the level of the plot of origin and take into account the specific context of the region, the type of forest, and the supply chain.

The Timber Trade Portal is designed to support this analysis but does not replace the operator’s due diligence obligations.

Subnational variations in risks

HARVESTING SOURCE	DUE DILIGENCE COMPLEXITY	DUE DILIGENCE CONSIDERATION

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