The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has inaugurated a nine-member Timber Monitoring Team to help clamp down on illegal activities in Ghana’s forest reserves.

The team is tasked with monitoring activities across all 288 forest reserves nationwide, with particular attention to illegal logging, attacks on forestry officers, and other practices that threaten the sustainability of the country’s forest resources.

Speaking at the inauguration on Monday, January 12, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, said the initiative is intended to strengthen intelligence gathering and enforcement within the reserves.

He noted that the sheer number of forest reserves makes it difficult for forestry authorities to have real-time information on activities on the ground.

“We have 288 forest reserves, and it is not possible for the Forest Commissioner to know what is happening at all times. Some of these situations require a lot of intelligence,” the minister said.

Mr Armah Kofi-Buah added that the monitoring team will play a crucial role in identifying illegal logging operations and responding promptly to incidents, including attacks on forest officers, to safeguard Ghana’s forest assets.