Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Dimensions of Kʋkɔrɔ Festival of Nimoro Division, Ghana

Abstract

Cultural festivals continue to receive diverse scholarly documentation in Ghana. Many of such studies tend to concentrate on the historical, social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic, tourism, educational, and political aspects of Ghanaian festivals with little attention paid to their environmental sustainability dimension. Situated within qualitative ethnographic design, the current study examined the Kʋkɔrɔ festival of Nimoro Division in the Buwa Kingdom of the Upper West Region of Ghana to reveal its environmental and cultural sustainability dimensions. Thematic analysis of interview and field photographic data elicited from twenty (20) participants showed that the revival of the Kʋkɔrɔ (forest) festival on May 18, 2024,

rejuvenated the environmental sustainability consciousness of the people of Nimoro Division. Additionally, the festival provided an opportunity for social cohesion, and exhibition of diverse indigenous Sisaala cultural heritage of Nimoro Division, thereby promoting cultural education and preservation. Since the festival has a bifocal significance of rejuvenating the environmental sustainability consciousness of the Nimoro Division and preserving their cultural heritage, the study concludes that its revival in this predatory era of globalisation is a step in the right direction.  To further enhance environmental sustainability and cultural preservation in Nimoro Division, it is recommended that the Kʋkɔrɔ festival be held annually. This will continue to raise ecological awareness and sustain the rich Sisaala cultural heritage of the Nimoro Division, ensuring both are maintained and strengthened in the face of globalisation.