REFloC (Resilient Ecosystems and Flourishing Communities) is an interdisciplinary academic initiative committed to advancing understanding of the dynamic relationship between forest conservation and the well-being of forest-dependent communities in Ghana. Our research combines scientific inquiry with participatory approaches to examine how local communities perceive, manage, and benefit from their natural environments.
Through collaboration with academic partners, policymakers, and local stakeholders, REFloC seeks to co-develop practical toolkits and evidence-based policy recommendations that promote sustainable livelihoods, environmental stewardship, and social equity. Our overarching vision is to contribute to resilient ecosystems and flourishing communities across Ghana.
We integrate diverse academic disciplines to conduct comprehensive studies on forest ecosystems and human interactions.
Creating practical guides and resources for communities, NGOs, and policymakers. We co-create practical toolkits and evidence-based policy recommendations that foster sustainable livelihoods, environmental stewardship, and social justice.
Training community members in GIS mapping, data collection, and sustainable resource management.
The Weto Socio-ecological production landscape in Ghana forms the southern part of the Togo-Atakora Mountains measuring about 343,549 ha. It spans across three political administrative districts namely Afadzato South, South Dayi, and Ho West, in the Volta Region with over 100 settlements within the landscape. There is an estimated population of 425,850 (2021).
The landscape is a dynamic mountainous mosaic and savannah landscape with diverse habitats and land uses, including towns and villages; farmlands with adjacent cocoa, oil palm, avocado and mango plantations; natural forests, sacred groves, fallow grasslands, wetlands, and water bodies (streams, rivers, ponds, and the Volta Lake).
Our research is conducted in the following communities within the Weto Ecological Zone:
A huge thank you to our brilliant research clinic team: Aisha Naik, Anya Yu, Luisa Bernhardt, and Lidia Faria Braz …
