CSIR-FORIG in Briefcsir-forig.org.gh/files/brief_forig_brochure.pdf · the Ghana Academy of Sciences. From its beginning, the institute’s mandate has been forest and forest products

CSIR-FORESTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GHANA

CSIR-FORIG in Brief

CSIR

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CSIR

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CSIR-FORESTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GHANA

A Brief on CSIR-FORIG

© Copyright CSIR – FORIG 2011

For further information, please contact:

The Director,CSIR–Forestry Research Institute of GhanaUniversity P. O. Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana

Telephone NumbersDirector: +233-3220-60122Office: +233-3220-60123/60373

Fax : +233 -3220- 60121

Email: [email protected]

Compiled byKennedy AsamoahBukari Darimani Noami AppiahStella Britwum Acquah

2 A Brief on CSIR-FORIG

2011 Brochure 3

ContentsHistorical Perspective 6

Mandate 6

Vision 6

Mission Statement 7

Goals 7

Objectives 7

Staff strength 9

Staff strength and distribution 9

Management Board 10

Organisational Structure at FORIG 11

CSIR-FORIG’s road map 2011 12

Research Programmes 13

Forest Products and Trade Unit 13

Forestry and Wildlife Unit 14

Environment, Biodiversity and Land-Use Unit 14

Revenue Generation Centres 15

Highlights of Major Achievements and Technologies Developed 17

Linkages 19

Linkages in Africa 20

Linkages in Europe, Asia and USA 20

Programmes/networks hosted by CSIR-FORIG 21

Externally Funded Projects 21

CSIR-FORIG Commercialisation Products 22

Eco-Tourism in Bobiri Forest Reserve 23

Field Research Stations 24


Foreword

This brochure provides an overview of the CSIR–Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG): history, mandate, objectives, personnel, organizational structure, research programmes, achievements and external relationships.

Forestry Research in Ghana dates back to early 1940’s with the establishment of permanent sample plots to monitor tree growth and the impact of silvicultural treatments on tree growth and recruitment of desirable tree species. However, it was not until 1962 that the then Forest Products Research Institute (FPRI) was established under the Ghana Academy of Sciences. From its beginning, the institute’s mandate has been forest and forest products research. However, considerable emphasis was placed on products (timber utilization) research in the early period to promote timber trade.

From 1980’s and under the Forestry Resources Management Project (1985–1992) ecological research was strengthened and FPRI was subsequently renamed Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) in 1991 to reflect its all embracing research. Based on current environmental issues and demands of FORIG’s stakeholders, the Institute in 2008 began to run on three research programmes. These are: Forestry & Wildlife; Forest Products & Trade; and Environment, Biodiversity and Land Use.

The Institute’s five-year Strategic Plan (2011–2015) has however focused on 6 strategic areas namely: human resources development; attraction of donor funded projects; effective management of research resources; improvement in research infrastructure; effective administrative, financial and information management; and outreach programmes.

Over the years, CSIR–FORIG has contributed immensely towards sustainable management of Ghana’s forest resources and has gained international reputation. International orientation and partnership is key to success in forestry programmes. Having earned recognition as one of the foremost forestry research institutes in Africa, CSIR

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– FORIG has established frameworks of cooperation with several organizations, institutes and universities in and outside the African continent. Through these partnerships, the institute is able to share costs and other research resources, build capacity and bring minds and expertise together, thereby enhancing the quality of its research programmes.

We are confident that with adequate support from government and our stakeholders, we can continue to make a strong and focused contribution to Ghana’s effort at managing her forest resources for the benefit of the present and future generations.

Dr. Victor K.Agyeman(Director)


Historical Perspective

1962: Started as a research unit within Forestry Department

1964: Fully established as Research Institute and named Forest Products Research Institute under Ghana Academy of Sciences

1968: Moved to Council for Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR)

1980: Transferred from CSIR to the newly created Forestry Commission by Act of Parliament (Act 405).

1991 : Renamed Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG)

1993: Returned to CSIR by another Act of Parliament (453).

Mandate

Undertake forest, forest products and related research, disseminate and commercialise research outputs and services.

Vision

To be a centre of excellence and networking hub for forest and forest products research in the humid tropics.

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Mission Statement

We conduct forest and forest products research for social, economic and environmental benefits of society.

Goals

• Generatetechnologiesforsustainablemanagementofnaturalforest

• Increaseforestestatethroughplantations

• Developprocessesforefficientutilizationofforestresources

• Commercialisescientifictechnologiesandservices

• Developcommunicationsystemthatbenefitdifferentstakeholders

• Disseminateresearchinformationtoupdatethepublic

Objectives

• Developtechnologiesforsustainablemanagementofnaturalforests, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation.

• Developtechnologiesforplantationforestry

• Generatetechnologicalpropertiesoflesserknowntreespeciesand develop appropriate processing techniques for the efficient utilization of forest resources.

• EnhancesustainablemanagementandutilizationofNon-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)

• Generate,mobilise,processanddisseminateinformationcritical to the management of Ghana’s forest resources.

• Strengthencapacityandusesameforoptimumresearchandcommercialized services.

• Strengthencapacitytoenhancethecommercializationdriveofresearch output


• Establishmechanismforattractingfinancialassistancefromdonors, private and public institutions for research.

• Upgradetheinfrastructureandfacilitiesforresearchanddevelopment

• Undertakecontract/commissionedresearch,consultancies,training and related technical services in forestry

• Fosterstronglinkagesacrossdisciplineswithlocalandinternational bodies and organizations

• Contributethroughresearchtosocial,economicandenvironmental well being of Ghanaians

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Staff strength

One of the major assets of CSIR-FORIG is the human resource capacity. As at December 2010, CSIR-FORIG had a total staff strength of 284 made up of 58 Research Scientists and analogous grades, 65 Senior Technical and Administrative staff , 147 Supporting Staff and 14 Casual Labourers. Of the researchers, 84% have higher degrees (MPhil, MSc, MBA, MA. and PhD.).

Staff strength and distribution

20%

23% 52%

5%

Research Grade

Senior Staff

suppor8ng Staff

Casuals


Management Board

CSIR-FORlG has a management board that exercises a general supervisory role over the Institute (NLCD 293 of 1968). Members are drawn from public and private sector organizations and civil society. The current board is made up of :

• ChairmanappointedbytheCouncilforScientificandIndustrial Research

• DeputyDirector-General,CSIR

• DirectoroftheInstitute

• AcognateDirectorcurrentlyDirectorofPlantGeneticResources Research Institute

• ChiefExecutive,ForestryCommission

• President,GhanaTimberAssociation

• President,GhanaTimberMillers’Organization

• TheInstitute’sAdministrativeOfficerasSecretarytotheBoard

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CSIR-FORIG’s road map 2011

Since January 2008, FORIG has reviewed its Strategic Plan to reflect on recent development in research and also to accommodate future trends. The change agenda is in response to current national and international environmental debates, while ensuring that its services remain relevant to stakeholders. In addition, FORIG wishes to apply more commercial principles for task execution and prioritization as a way of defining and funding future research priorities. In view of the above, Five(5) Strategic Policy Directions have been evolved to guide FORIG’s future actions. These are:

1. Develop capacity to handle emerging challenges relating to sustainable forest management, environmental management and climate change.

2. Increase investment and external promotion of quality results for commercialization and application by stakeholders

3. Develop long term collaborative programmes and partnerships with diverse stakeholders for capacity building.

4. Diversify sources of research funding to ensure long-term funding prospects.

5. Align research in consonance with national priorities setting and pursuing effective science-policy linkages for socio–economic development.

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Research Programmes

The Research activities of the Institute have been reorganized (grouped) into three major research programmes (Units). Each Unit runs two divisions focusing on major themes of the unit. The Units and their divisions are as follows

Forest Products and Trade Unit

Divisions under the Unit are:

• ForestIndustryDevelopment.

• ForestProducts,TradeandMarketing

The priority research themes for the unit include but are not limited to the following:

• Efficientprocessingandutilizationoftimber,woodresiduesand promotion of LUS, plantation timber and small diameter logs.

• Forestsectorinvestment(inforestproductsdevelopmentandprocessing), fiscal regimes and forest taxation.

• Sustainableinternationaltradeinforestresources(throughVoluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), transparent market, forest industry audit, certification and Validation of Legal


origin of Forest Products (VLFP), valuation of forests, wood products and services.

• DevelopmentandmarketingofNTFP(bambooandrattan;medicinal plants and herbal medicines; natural insecticides and dyes; essential oils and fats; chemicals and extractives) and promotion of their industry.

• Bio-energy:includingdevelopmentoftraditionalsourcesof energy and its efficient utilization (to enhance efficient establishment, utilization and marketing of wood fuel).

Forestry and Wildlife Unit

The divisions of the Unit are:

• ForestandWildlifeManagement

• Forests,LivelihoodandGovernance

The priority research themes for the unit include but not limited to the following:

• Policy,legislationandinstitutionalframeworkofnationalresources management.

• Pluralismandgovernanceofnaturalresources.

• Rurallivelihoods,benefitsharingandpovertyreduction.

• Resourceassessment,timberharvesting,andwildlifemanagement.

• Landscaperestoration,wildfiremanagement,silviculturalsystems and plantation development.

Environment, Biodiversity and Land-Use Unit

The divisions of the Unit are:

• EcosystemServicesandClimateChange

• BiodiversityandLand-Use

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The priority research themes for the Unit include but not limited to the following:

• Biodiversityconservationandmanagement.

• Landscaperestorationandrehabilitationofdegradedlands.

• Mechanismsforharnessingenvironmentalservices,Mitigationand Adaptation of Climate Change.

• Ecosystemhealthandvalidity.

• Decliningtrendinstreamflowandsoilproductivity.

In addition to the three core research units, there are three other supporting divisions made up of the Commercialization & Infor-mation, Administration and Finance.

Revenue Generation Centres

As part of the co-operate CSIR mandate, Institutes are to commercialize their research outputs to meet at least 30% of their budgetary requirements. In line with this, the Institute undertakes certain commercial activities to meet it’s target revenue.

The commercialization drive of the institute centres on the following activities:

• Plantationestablishment

• Woodpreservation

• Mushroomfarming

• Snailfarming

• Agroforestrydevelopment

• Wooddrying,preservationandutilisation

• Nurseryestablishment

• Establishmentandmanagementofseedorchards

• Pestanddiseasesmanagementinplantations


• Prekeseproduction

• Honeyproduction

• Ruralwoodpreservation

• Environmentalimpactassessment

• Furniturestrengthtesting

The major core centres of the Institute that undertake these activities are:

• NationalTreeSeedCentre:Responsibleforthecollection,processing and storage of seeds. Raising of seedlings for sale to plantation developers.

• ProductionSection:Productionofwood-basedproductssuchas coffins, furniture, test tube racks using both traditional and lesser used species.

• TrainingandConsultancySection:Undertakingconsultancy,training and technology transfer services.

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Highlights of Major Achievements and Technologies Developed

The major achievements and technologies developed include:

1 Natural Forest Management

• Grithlimitsandsustainablefellingintensityofsometimberspicies

• Methodsforrehabilitatingdegradedforestsandminedsites

• GISbasedmodelforfirehazardandriskmanagement.

2 Plantation Development

• Protocolfor“BestPractice”inplantationdevelopment.

3 Tree Improvement

• Provisionofgeneticallyimprovedseedsandseedlings.

• Methodsofhandlingforesttreeseeds.

• Propagationtechniques(seedgermination,tissuecultureandmacro propagation for tree species).

4 Forest Health

• Strategiesforcontrolofforestpestsanddiseases.


5 Wood Utilization and Preservation

• TechniquesforprocessingandutilizationofLesser-UsedSpecies (LUS)

• Standardsforpowertransmissionpoles

• Codeofpracticeforwoodpreservation,qualitycontrolprocedures and inspection for timber products in Ghana

• Techniquesforimprovingdurabilityofwoodandbambooproducts through rural wood preservation methods

• Woodshinglesdesignforroofing

• DryingpropertiesandkilndryingschedulesforGhanaiantimber species

• Techniquesfortheproductionofwoodwoolcementslabs

• Techniquesforwoodwasteutilization,briquettes,charcoal,slabs and particle boards.

6 Non Timber Forest Products

• Snailfarmingcultivationtechnique

• Bee-Keepingtechnology

• Techniquesformushroom(Domo)productionusingagricultural waste

• Techniquesfortheproductionofplant-derivedinsecticides

• Techniquesfortheproductionofplantextractives(tannins,

dyes)

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Linkages

Having earned recognition as a renowned tropical Forestry Research Institute, CSIR-FORlG has established linkages with several prestigious Research Institutes, Universities and other organizations in over 10 countries.

The Institute has forged strategic partnerships and twinning agreements on forestry research projects and academic exchanges with renowned institutes and universities worldwide. These arrangements allow students, lecturers and researchers to undertake exchange programmes that give them the opportunity to interact and collaborate with other Research Institutes, Universities, Ministries, Industry and NGO’S. The institutions include:

• CSIR-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute

• CSIR-Soil Research Institute

• CSIR-Crops Research Institute

• CSIR-Food Research Institute

• CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research

• CSIR-Institute of Scientific and Technological Information

• University of Ghana-Legon

• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology


• University for Development Studies • Ghana Forestry Commission • Ghana Standards Board • Ghana Atomic Energy Commission • Environmental Protection Agency • Ministry of Food and Agriculture • Ghana Timber Association • Ghana Timber Millers Organization • Minerals Commission• SamartexTimber&PlywoodCompanyLimited

(SAMARTEX) • SwissLumberCompanylimited• TropenbosGhanaInternational(TBI)• InternationalNetworkforBambooandRattan(INBAR)

Linkages in Africa

• KenyaForestryResearchInstitute(KEFRI)–Kenya• UniversityofParakou-Benin• UniversityofLome-Togo• SocieteDeDeveloppementForestier(SODEFOR)–Cote

d’voire• ForestryResearchInstituteofNigeria(FRIN)• UniversityofCocody• WorldAgroforestryCentre(ICRAF)

Linkages in Europe, Asia and USA

• DANIDASeedCentre,Denmark• DepartmentofPlantSciences,UniversityofOxford,U.K• MichiganTechnologicalUniversity,USA• NorthernArizonaUniversity,USA• UniversityofAberdeen,UnitedKingdom• UniversityofFlorence,Italy

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• FormEcologyConsultants,Netherlands• NaturalResourcesInstitute,U.K.• UniversityofWales,Bangor,U.K.• NaturalResourcesInstitute,Greenwich,U.K.• UniversityofCopenhagen,Denmark• UnitedStatesForestServices,USA• WageningenUniversity,Netherlands• UniversityofFreiburg,Germany

Programmes/networks hosted by CSIR-FORIG

• GlobalForestryInformationService,(GFIS)Africaproject

• Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA)

• AfricanForestResearchNetwork(AFORNET)

• ForestryResearchNetworkofSub-SaharanAfrica(FORNESSA)

Externally Funded Projects

CSIR-FORIG has won a number of competitive grants/donor support for a wide variety of projects. Currently, there are over 10 donor funded projects. Between 2005–2010, the institute undertook over 50 major pro jects, most of them being Donor funded. The projects are mainly in the areas of forest management, wood processing and utilization, silvicultural management and forest entomology, tree improvement and plantation development. In addition, Policy, governance and Social-economics have all featured prominently.

Major Donors include International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), Department for International Development ( DFID), African Forest Research Network (AFORNET), American Astronomical Society (AAS) and the European Union (EU)


CSIR-FORIG Commercialisation Products

CSIR-FORIG Honey Spouting mushroom

Harvested mushroom Snail farming

CSIR-FORIG Prekese syrup Teak Nursery

CSIR-FORIG Workshop Furniture testing machine

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Eco-Tourism in Bobiri Forest Reserve

The Bobiri Forest Reserve is an eco-tourism site maintained by CSIR-FORIG. The site is a rich natural forest located in Tropical Moist semi-deciduous zone. With its lush greenery and mystifying atmosphere, it is one of the most beautiful Forest Reserves in West Africa. This natural forest reserve attracts tourists from within and outside Ghana. It is a good natural forest laboratory and hosts a number of indigenous forest tree species in the arboretum. In addition to this, there are a number of wild animals, birds and butterfly species. A number of local and foreign students have undertaken research in the reserve. The special attraction here is the butterfly sanctuary that hosts a lot of rare butterfly species.


Field Research Stations

As part of it’s mandate to conduct research in all the ecological zones of the country, the Institute has established research stations in all the ecological zones to facilitate research .The centres are:

• Wet/MoistEvergreenResearchStation - Subiri Forest ReserveBenso (Western Region)

- Bia Tano Forest Reserve-Gambia (Brong Ahafo)

• MoistSemi-DeciduousNorthWestResearchStation - Bobiri Forest Reserve, Kubease (Ashanti Region)

• MoistSemi-DeciduousSouthEastResearchStation - Pra-Anum Forest reserve, Amantia (Eastern Region)

- South Formangsu Forest Reserve, Dadieso (Eastern Re gion) - Mpraeso Research Centre, Mpraeso (Eastern Region) - Jimira Forest Reserve, Jimira (Eastern Region)

• SavannaResearchStation - Bolgatanga (Upper East Region)

- Bawku Forest Reserve, Bawku (Upper East Region)

• DrySemi-DeciduousResearchStation - Afram Headwaters Forest Reserve, Abofour(Ashanti Region) - Asenanyo Forest Reserve, Akotaa (Western Regioon)

- Yenku Forest Reserve, Winneba (Central region)

The Director, CSIR – FORIG University P. O. Box 63,

KNUST, Kumasi ,Ghana Tel: 233-3220-60123/60373

Fax: 233-3220– 60121

E-mail:[email protected]: www.csir-forig.org.gh

Documents

CSIR-FORIG in Briefcsir-forig.org.gh/files/brief_forig_brochure.pdf · the Ghana Academy of Sciences. From its beginning, the institute’s mandate has been forest and forest products