Forestry sector financing (ARF 100)

active

In the northern region of Cameroon, high population growth is causing increasing pressure on the natural resource of land, while the available and accessible agricultural land is becoming increasingly scarce. The progressive settlement and agricultural use of areas that were traditionally reserved for livestock farming, as well as hunting and forest areas, is increasing along a pioneering front from north to south and is leading to worrying soil degradation. Excessive grazing, which is increasing due to migration movements due to the security situation, and the mostly illegal logging for charcoal and firewood are leading to further soil degradation. Between 80 and 90 percent of households will continue to rely on wood fuel for domestic needs in the long term. The core problem is therefore the unsustainable use of land and the progressive degradation of the savannah areas in northern Cameroon. As part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), various measures (reforestation, enrichment planting, agroforestry, erosion protection, etc.) are being implemented at the municipal level to rehabilitate degraded landscapes and forests in order to restore their ecological functions, improve production conditions, sequester significant amounts of carbon, preserve biodiversity and increase the resilience of ecosystems to climate change. The measures are being implemented on the basis of participatory planning at the municipal level and in cooperation with interested and qualified non-governmental organizations. With a funding contribution of EUR 10 million, the module objective is the more sustainable management of degraded landscapes and forests in the northern regions of Cameroon on an area of around 46,000 ha.