On April 6, the Minister of Secondary Education, Pauline Nalova Lyonga, organized a tree-planting initiative in Limbe, South West Region, that attracted hundreds of students and teachers from all over Cameroon.
The exercise, aimed at combating climate change, was part of Minister Nalova’s vision for a green and reforested Cameroon.
It came on the heels of the ongoing National FENASSCO League A Games that started in Limbe on April 3.
Over 300 trees were planted at Government High School Batoke and Government Bilingual Technical High School Isokolo, in Limbe.
Prof. Nalova Lyonga emphasised that FENASSCO, besides promoting sports, also champions environmental sustainability.
This initiative was crucial given Cameroon’s significant contribution to the Congo Basin, which houses 20 percent of the world’s tropical moist forests, second only to the Amazon.
Approximately 80 percent of Africa’s remaining moist forests are found in the Congo Basin.
However, despite Cameroon’s environmental significance, the country has experienced significant tree cover loss over the years.
Statistics indicate a loss of 2.05 Mha of tree cover between 2001 and 2023, with the eastern and central regions accounting for 53 percent of this total loss.
Deforestation is mainly driven by factors such as fuel wood extraction, timber logging, and agricultural expansion.
In response to the alarming deforestation rate, both governmental and non-governmental organisations have initiated reforestation efforts.
However, challenges persist, as highlighted by a World Bank evaluation of Cameroon’s forest management.
“Cameroon’s forest sector experience is strongly linked to events in agriculture and the overall political economy. The low productivity of the agricultural system, combined with increased food demand, has made the expansion of the cultivated area a leading cause of deforestation,” the World Bank document stated.
However, the government launched a programme in 2017 to restore 12 million hectares of deforested and degraded land.
Daniel Gbetnkom, a lecturer of economics and management at the University of Yaounde, underscores the adverse effects of deforestation, including erosion of agricultural lands, desertification, loss of biodiversity, and climate change.
“The progressive disappearance of tropical forests constitutes one of the major environmental problems in both industrialized and developing countries,” said Daniel Gbetnkom.
To him, the effects of deforestation in Cameroon, such as the erosion of agricultural lands, desertification, disappearance of plant and animal species, and regional climatic conditions and global warming through its effect on the global carbon cycle are likely to affect agricultural activities and economic growth.
“Forests play a very important role in the genesis and maintenance of the production potential of soils and watershed protection, harbor large proportions of the world’s plant and animal species, and serve as a reservoir of resources in the form of food, medicinal plants, and wood,” he added.
In light of these concerns, observers advocate for integrating forest management into the curriculum, emphasizing the importance of environmental education.
While a few forest schools exist in Mbalmayo and Garoua, access remains limited, highlighting the need for broader inclusion of environmental education in Cameroon’s educational system.
©Mimi Mefo Info – Pauline Nalova Lyonga
