Mangrove Conditions as Indicator for Potential Payment for Ecosystem Services in Some Estuaries of Western Region of Ghana, West Africa - The Land/Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone of West and Central Africa - page 157

Fig. 7 Private tourism operators' case of Eco-Lodge at Beyin (the proprietor in red shorts) (Photograph by Nicolas Jengere)

will lose if the ecosystem services provided by the man-
groves are lost, and they must pay for their replacement/
restoration.

- Sharing of research finding. Mechanisms should be
developed to promote communication and sharing of
research results either through forums or through any
communication media.
- Sensitization campaigns. Need for adequate sensitiza-
tion campaigns to strengthen the awareness on the
importance of mangroves, the threats affecting them
and the need to conserve wetlands.
• Completion of Ghana carbon map and mangrove carbon
monitoring.
There is need to complete the current Ghana carbon
map with the mangrove component using appropriate
methodologies, especially those currently implemented
within the central African mangrove forests with some
establishment of long-term permanent sample plot system
for measuring mangrove carbon sequestration and eco-
system dynamics under various human extraction regimes.

Recommendations

Short-Term Recommendations

• Addressing Stakeholders and Instructional Issues
- Development of stakeholders contact database. All the
groups working on mangroves need to be identified
through the establishment of a database initiated by
either themselves or a state institution like the Wildlife
Division of the Forestry Commission.
- Organization of an expanded stakeholder forum. In order
to resolve conflict issues on mangrove and coastal
resource management issues, an expanded forum of key
stakeholders, preferably convened by the government
with NGOs playing a facilitating role, is needed to
identify and chart out a common vision and workable
strategies for mangrove conservation within the general
integrated coastal management discussion. The ongoing
organization of the proposed coastal forum by Coastal
Resources Center (CRC) could be a window opportunity.
- Cross-institutional capacity building. Need to
strengthen the operational capacities of governmental
organizations by providing them basic logistics, espe-
cially transport, etc.

Medium- and Long-Term Recommendations

• Addressing the direct on-site threats to mangrove ecosystem
services is critically important in order to develop effective
management/conservation policies and to lay the ground-
work for innovative financing, including PES schemes.
• A focus on areas for potential wet carbon benefits via
avoided deforestation or the peat/swamp forests and
restoration of mangroves (Table 7 ) could provide the
necessary foundation for PES.