Introduction
The Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site (KLCRS), designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1992, represents one of Ghana’s most ecologically significant coastal ecosystems; providing critical habitat for migratory waterbirds, including the Black-tailed Godwit and the Curlew Sandpiper, which rely on its mudflats and shallow waters along the East Atlantic Flyway.
The lagoon also supports fisheries by serving as a nursery for fish and shellfish that sustain local livelihoods. Its mangrove species such as Rhizophora racemosa (red mangrove), Avicennia germinans (black mangrove), Laguncularia racemosa (white mangrove), and Conocarpus erectus (buttonwood mangrove), stabilize shorelines, reduce erosion, filter sediments, store carbon, and provide shelter for juvenile marine species.
Yet long before its formal international recognition, the lagoon was sustainably governed by the Anlo people through customary institutions, spiritual norms, and traditional ecological knowledge systems. These systems regulated access, controlled exploitation, and embedded biodiversity conservation within social, religious, and political life.
Despite Ghana’s strong legal commitments under the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), contemporary management of the Keta Lagoon has largely sidelined traditional stewardship systems. This has weakened local ownership, eroded traditional ecological knowledge, and contributed to persistent biodiversity degradation. This case study diagnoses what has gone wrong, identifies missed opportunities for community-centred governance, and proposes reforms grounded in CBD Article 8(j) and related international and national legal frameworks.
Historical Responsibility and Cultural Identity
Among the Anlo people, the KLCRS is a sacred socio-ecological system, not merely a natural resource. Stewardship responsibility historically rested with a constellation of traditional institutions, including:
- The Awoamefia (Paramount Chief of Anlo) as the ultimate custodian of land and water bodies,
- Divisional and clan chiefs (Dufiawo) exercising territorial oversight,
- Togbuiwo and Asafo leaders, enforcing communal norms, and
- Traditional priests (Bokɔwo) responsible for ritual regulation of sacred lagoon spaces.
Spiritual beliefs associated with deities such as water spirits (e.g., Mami Wata beliefs), and clan tutelary gods reinforced conservation rules. Certain sections of the lagoon and adjoining mangroves were designated as sacred or taboo areas, where fishing, cutting of mangroves, or entry during specific periods was prohibited.
These practices reflected a worldview in which ecological stewardship was inseparable from cultural identity and intergenerational responsibility.
Case Study : What Has Gone Wrong in Wetland and Biodiversity Management in the KLCRS
(a) Displacement of Customary Authority
Following Ramsar designation, governance authority over the KLCRS shifted primarily to state institutions, particularly the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, under powers now consolidated in the Wildlife Resources Management Act, 2023 (Act 1115).
Traditional authorities were not granted legally recognized management roles, contrary to the spirit of CBD Articles 10(c) and 8(j).
This institutional displacement weakened compliance, as conservation rules lost their cultural legitimacy and social enforcement mechanisms.
(b) Conservation Without Livelihood Security
Wetland protection measures were introduced without adequate livelihood safeguards, contrary to CBD Article 10(a), which promotes sustainable use of biodiversity. Fishing restrictions, mangrove protection rules, and access controls were enforced without benefit-sharing mechanisms envisaged under CBD Article 15 and Nagoya Protocol principles.
As a result, conservation became perceived as externally imposed deprivation rather than collective stewardship.
(c) Fragmented Institutional Mandates
The KLCRS is subject to overlapping governance by:
- Wildlife Division (Forestry Commission),
- Environmental Protection Authority (EPA),
- District Assemblies under the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), and
- Sector ministries and donor-supported projects.
This fragmentation contradicts the ecosystem-based management approach promoted under Ramsar COP Resolution IX.6 and CBD Decision V/6, resulting in inconsistent enforcement and weak accountability.
(d) Erosion of Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Traditional Anlo ecological knowledge – such as lunar-based fishing calendars, species-specific harvesting norms, and seasonal lagoon closures enforced through ritual observances, has not been systematically documented or incorporated into management plans. This neglect conflicts directly with CBD Article 8(j) and COP Decision VII/16, which emphasize the integration of traditional knowledge into biodiversity governance.
2. Missed Opportunities for Strengthening Local Ownership and Management
(a) Incomplete Adoption of Co-Management Models
Although Ramsar COP Resolution VII.8 encourages community-based wetland management, Ghana has not established legally empowered co-management structures for the Keta Lagoon. Traditional authorities remain advisory rather than decision-making actors, resulting in participation without power.
(b) Underutilization of Cultural and Spiritual Capital
Traditional practices, such as ritual fishing bans following the death of a chief, annual purification rites, and sacred rest days (often linked to Afa divination cycles), once served as effective conservation compliance mechanisms. These practices were neither formalized nor aligned with statutory management frameworks, despite their proven effectiveness.
(c) Untapped Blue Economy and Nature-Based Solutions
The lagoon’s potential for sustainable aquaculture, mangrove-based carbon sequestration, and eco-cultural tourism aligns with CBD Decision XIV/3 on biodiversity and climate change and Ghana’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP II). However, the absence of community-led investment models has limited these opportunities.
3. What Needs to Be Done Differently
(a) Legal Recognition of Traditional Stewardship Systems
Ghana should operationalize CBD Article 8(j) by formally recognizing customary conservation rules under wildlife and wetland regulations. This includes granting statutory roles to traditional authorities within wetland management committees and recognizing sacred sites as conservation zones.
(b) Transition from Participation to Power-Sharing
In line with Ramsar COP Resolution XI.13, co-management authorities should be established with equal representation of state agencies and traditional institutions. Conservation revenues, benefits received under the Nagoya Protocol, and climate finance should be transparently shared with local custodians.
(c) Revitalization of Traditional Knowledge and Youth Engagement
Traditional ecological knowledge should be documented with the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of Anlo knowledge holders, consistent with CBD Decision XIII/18. Youth engagement through cultural festivals, apprenticeship under elders, and community monitoring should be prioritized.
(d) Alignment of International Commitments with Local Governance
National implementation of Ramsar and CBD obligations must be translated into locally intelligible rules, co-developed with traditional institutions. Participatory biodiversity monitoring would align with CBD Decision X/7 on protected areas governance.
4. Broader Implications for Ghana’s Biodiversity Governance
The Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site illustrates a systemic weakness in Ghana’s biodiversity governance: the prioritization of statutory control over culturally legitimate stewardship. While Ghana has ratified progressive international instruments, domestic implementation has insufficiently respected traditional governance systems, contrary to both the letter and spirit of international law.
5. Explicit Linkage to CBD Article 8(j)
CBD Article 8(j) obliges Parties to:
“Respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of traditional and local communities… and promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge.”
The marginalization of Anlo traditional stewardship at the Keta Lagoon represents a clear implementation gap. Restoring customary institutions, spiritual practices, and traditional knowledge systems is therefore not optional, it is a legal obligation, a governance reform, and an ecological necessity.
Anchoring Anlo stewardship of the KLCRS would strengthen Ghana’s compliance with the CBD, enhance Ramsar site effectiveness, and offer a replicable model for culturally grounded biodiversity governance nationwide.
Author: Samuel Dotse, PhD (CEO, HATOF Foundation)
Co-author: Ms. MaryJane Enchill (Deputy CEO, HATOF Foundation)February 12,2026
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