Ensuring local support for protected areas is increasingly viewed as an important element of biodiversity conservation. This is often predicted on the provision of benefits from protected areas, and a common means of providing such benefits is ecotourism development. Ecotourism as defined by Blangy and Wood (1993) is 'responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and sustains the well-being of local people'. The concept of ecotourism has received much attention in recent years due to its link with sustainable development initiatives, protected area conservation efforts, and regional and community development strategies, particularly in developing countries(Ceballos-Lascurain 1993). In many African countries, the rationale for ecotourism development is primarily economic, from both macro (national) and micro (local) levels. At the macro level, tourism is expected to promote economic growth by generating foreign exchange and increase government revenue while at the micro level, it is expected to facilitate job creation, income and revenue distribution and a balanced regional development which ultimately should improve quality of life of local residents (Sirakaya et. al., 2002). In addition, it is to provide revenue for the creation and maintenance of protected areas (Boo, 1990). Likewise since the late 1980s, tourism (ecotourism) has received considerable promotion in the economic development strategy of Ghana (Sirakaya et. al, 2002) as a response to recent adverse developments in its economy. The rationale is to diversify the economy to reduce its dependence on traditional exports of unprocessed mineral, agricultural and forest products (Teye, 2000) and to facilitate its sustainable development process.In many African countries, the rationale for ecotourism development is primarily economic, from both macro (national) and micro (local) levels. At the macro level, tourism is expected to promote economic growth by generating foreign exchange and increase government revenue while at the micro level, it is expected to facilitate job creation, income and revenue distribution and a balanced regional development which ultimately should improve quality of life of local residents (Sirakaya et. al., 2002). In addition, it is to provide revenue for the creation and maintenance of protected areas (Boo, 1990)...
Im Interview sprachen Sheila Ashong, Koordinatorin des Programms „Der Mensch und die Biosphäre“ (MAB) in Ghana und Leiterin der Abteilung Natürliche Ressourcen der Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Ghana, und Barbara Engels, Leiterin der Geschäftsstelle für das Nationalkomitee des MAB-Programms in Deutschland und Leiterin der Abteilung „Ökonomie, Gesellschaft und internationaler Naturschutz“ im Bundesamt für Naturschutz, am Rande eines Treffens im Hauptquartier der United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris im März 2025 über die Rolle der UNESCO-Biosphärenreservate in Ghana und über die Herausforderungen und Chancen in der Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem Biosphärenreservat Lake Bosomtwe und dem Biosphärenreservat Schaalsee.