Sustainable Development

Another concept, which we found relevant to our study, is Sustainable Development (SD).

The Brundtland Commission in its report titled “Our Common Future” (1987) was the first to give an authoritative definition to the term. According to the Report, SD is defined as

“Development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987, p. 45). The theoretical framework for sustainable development emerged between 1972 and 1992 through a sequence of international conferences and initiatives on the concept. The first major international forum where major international actors discussed the concept on a global scale, thereby giving it momentum, was the UN Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972 (John Drexhage and Deborah Murphy, 2010). Development (IISD)The Brundtland Report provided the momentum for the landmark 1992 Rio Summit that laid the foundations for the global institutionalization of sustainable development.

In Development literature, literature, a path is seen s being sustainable if overall welfare does not decline along the path (Pezzey, 1989). From the definitions given above, we can say in general that sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet present human needs, and also preserve the environment to meet these needs of the future generation.

According to this theory, humans are required to use natural resources at a rate at which they can be replenished naturally.

There are three independent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental.

Economic- This is the ability of a system to produce goods and services on a constant basis in spite of constant depletion.

Environmental: Refers to how a system can maintain a secure resource base in the face of constant expoitation and depletion of natural resources such as forests.

Social: A socially sustainable system is one that portrays fairness and equity innterms of distriubtion of resources, and in terms of accessing these resources.

From the above, the concept of sustainable development is intended to include environment, economy, and social issues; but in the real world, it is often contexutalized as an environmental issue (Drexhage, J. and Murphy) This is because in its early years, it was mainly concerned with a green agenda, that is invloving environmental issues in economic development.

Chasek (2009: 394) asserts that sustainable development has become an environmenal issue because the Commission on Sustainable Deveopment (CSD) has attracted representation largely from environmental bodies, meaning that parties a lot of attention is given the environmental sectors. (Dodds et al. 2002: 5) note that the minimal participation by ministers with portfolios other than environment, further marginalized the debate at the sessions and limit the CSD’s impact and follow-up process.

5.7.1 Difficulties in implementing sustainable development

According to Moyo (2009), in spite of the widely accepted nature of the term, sustainable development has actually done very little in terms of programs and policies aimed at improving the lives of the poor. The term is lose, and is prone to different interpretations of government, and organizations. The lack of a specific focus of the term is a challenge.

Further, the intergation of the three pillars has made the concept a comlex one, which is difficult to achieve. However, this study is hinged on this concept because we believe that by ilinking the concept to practical climate issues such as REDD+ compensations which is implemented at the grassroot level, it will give the concept some practicality, and people will come to accept it more.

5.7.2 Relevance to our study /REDD+ Compensation and sustainable development: the linkages

In relating this theory to the study, it is clear that REDD+ compensation will impact greatly on the livelihoods of farmers- in both positive and negative ways. Which aspects of the compensation program are sustainable? How do the three nested and interconnected pillars of sustainable development theory (economic, social and environmental) affect communities?

The sustainable development theory is applied to this study in a number of ways. First, the study draws on the environmental pillar of sustainable development, in terms of managing forests in such a way that they are not depleted beyond their natural capacity, and in a way that future generations can benefit from.

On the issue of compensation, economic and social pillars can be applied. Paying compensations to farmers would impact positively on their livelihoods- positively and negatively. Also, farmers expressed their readiness to engage in alternative livelihoods such as fishing, basket weaving and livestock rearing. In relation to the environment, a sustainable management of forests through good practices will conserve the forests for the use of future generations.

The issue of equity in benefit sharing, as well as in the distribution of compensation monies, are important to discuss under the social pillar.

6 Peoples Preferences for compensation

This chapter explores primarily the findings from the focus group discussions. In all a total of eleven (11) focus group discussions were held in six (6) communities namely Jensue, New Yaakase, Adonikrom, Sewum, Asantekrom and Boinso. In each community, focus groups involved a different ethnic group, with each divided into men and women, except in Sewum where prevailing circumstances forced researchers to mix both men and women. The ethnic groups that participated are: Sefwi, Ewe, Ashanti, Fante, Brusa and a mix of eight (8) ethnic groups (see Figure 1) from Northern Ghana (Kusasi, Gruma, Dagaaba, Dagaare, Frafra, Busanga, Bimoba and Wangara) It is important to mention here that out of these groups, nine are in-migrant ethnic groups, with only two (Brusa-New Yaakase and Sefwi/Brusa in Jensue) being indigenous to the area. 6 key informant interviews, as well 10 individual interviews were also conducted.

Figure 9: Ethnic group composition

Source: fieldwork 2012