Equitable Fire Management in Ghana: co-developing an adaptable framework with local communities using social science and arts-based methods
Adriana Ford (Department of Geography), Rahina Sidiki Alare (PhD Researcher), Godwin Dzekoto (Project Manager, A Rocha Ghana), Daniel Kwaku Anetang (Artist, Ghana), Kate Schreckenberg (Professor of Environment and Development, King’s College London)
This project brought together researchers, artists, and local fire users in Northern Ghana to explore more inclusive approaches to environmental governance. Led by Dr Adriana Ford (King’s College London) in partnership with A Rocha Ghana, the project centred the experiences of herders, farmers, and hunters—whose knowledge and needs are often overlooked in fire policy.
Through a participatory workshop in Damongo, 31 stakeholders came together to reflect on the social, ecological, and cultural dimensions of fire. Drawing exercises, storytelling, and group dialogue helped surface tensions around exclusion, land rights, and traditional fire practices. These insights informed the creation of a large public mural by artist Daniel Kwaku Anetang, titled Flames of Duality, which was launched in Damongo in June 2025 alongside a co-produced policy brief.
The mural and brief are now being used to support local planning processes and spark wider discussion. The policy brief has been shared with the Medium-Term Development Plan committee for West Gonja, and the project has opened new routes for international collaboration through a research exchange to London and growing ties with the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires.
For full details of the project, please see the PDF case study below.