Effects of decentralized forestry on forest reparation, rural livelihoods and poverty: assessing the viability of the modified Taungya system

The paper uses the experiences of selected rural communities in the Offinso Forest District of Ghana to demonstrate how the Modified Taungya System (MTS) as a decentralized forest governance strategy enhances the resilience of local people to escape poverty through enhanced livelihoods and simultaneously restores degraded forest resources. The underpinning objective of the study was to ascertain the viability of the MTS as a participatory forestry initiative to deliver the ascribed goal of enhancing community livelihoods and repairing degraded forest. Thus, how improved rural livelihoods and community forest resources have been concurrently delivered through decentralized forestry under the MTS has been addressed in this paper. It further highlights the implications of the MTS for REDD+ implementation and climate change mitigation. The paper concludes that actualization of green development goals through effective forest resource management is possible with active community involvement especially when local people’s livelihood requirements are adequately catered for in an uncompromising manner.