Articles

Protected areas have become a vital component of the global biodiversity conservation strategy due to the increasing extinction and vulnerability of different species in the 21st century. In Ghana, besides the shared governance of protected area management, there also exists the governance by indigenous community models in which traditional structures (clans and stools) use taboos, deities, totems, and myths as tools in managing protected areas. To study the effectiveness of the various governance systems in protected area management, we compared species diversity, vegetation structure, and biomass stock of an area under shared governance (wildlife sanctuary) to communal governance (sacred grove).

The study indicates that indigenous agricultural practices may have affected populations of hutia, perhaps by attracting them and supporting them within anthropogenic mosaic landscapes.

The inclusion of people with intellectual disability in cultural and civic activities is an important point for discussion, particularly in the context of supporting the social sustainability of our local communities and cities. In line with a human rights approach to disability and inclusion, local governments and community organisations are poised to play a pivotal role in the inclusion of people with intellectual disability.