The Government of Cameroon is introducing a new wood tracking system to protect and support the country’s timber industry - and enable exports to continue to the EU.  Currently 80% of Cameroon’s sawn timber output is exported to the EU.

In response to growing concerns about the damage cased by illegal logging, the EU introduced a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative. The main requirement is that all countries exporting wood to the EU must operate a national timber legality assurance system, seen as a key tool to reducing illegal logging.

Quarter 12, in Bonadikombo, Mile Four has been declared the Cleanest Quarter in Limbe. The declaration was made in the conference hall of the Limbe I Council Hall last Friday 25 June during the award of prizes for the Cleanest Quarter in Limbe, organised by the Limbe City Council as part of activities marking the 150th anniversary celebrations of Victoria Limbe.

It was also revealed that the award was to carry  as cash prizes, FCFA 1 Million, 500,000 and 300,000 for the 1st 2nd and 3rd prizes respectively, but the quarter heads in Limbe had decided that the prizes be modified so that all the more that 30 quarters in Limbe had some compensation prize.

People all over the world continue to see climate change as a threat. The majority expect the media to not only inform the public about climate change, but also educate them about its consequences. At the same time, the number of people who aren’t concerned at all has risen in the last two years as well: from 4 percent in 2008 to 9 percent now.

Those are just some of the results of a global study from the market research company Synovate in cooperation with Deutsche Welle. Synovate surveyed more than 13,000 people from 18 different countries about the potential threats, the effects and the possibilities that exist to counteract climate change. The complete results were presented at this year’s Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum. This year’s conference, entitled “The Heat is On – Climate Change and the Media”, is taking place from June 21-23 in Bonn.

The UK-sponsored Cameroon Climate Change Roadshow has roared-off with an exhilarating theatre performance in Garoua – North Region of the country targeting mayors, central government officials, MPS journalists and local communities.

The troubadour-type performance of the play “Combating the Monster, Combating Climate Change” was watched at the Alliance Franco-Camerounaise auditorium in Garoua on 23 June 2010 by an over 350-man crowd held spell-bound by the creative format in which the actors urged them to employ a structured approach to fight the global problem.

A highly professional touring party of theatre artists from Yaounde have embarked on a campaign to mobilise people of four councils across Cameroon to take urgent action to fight against climate change.
The high moments of campaign sponsored by the British High Commission, and dubbed the Cameroon Climate Change Roadshow, will be theatre concerts in Garoua on 23 June, Santa on 29 June, Kribi on 2 July and Limbe on 9 July 2010.

The troupe will use the play Combatting the Monster, Combatting Climate Change to urge local council authorities to take advantage of the decentralisation process in the country to develop a structured approach to address climate change, seen as one of the most crucial global challenges of our time.
Speaking ahead of the concerts, Abel Akara Ticha – Spokesman of the British High Commission said: “Tackling climate change is crucial to the extent that councils now need to clearly include it in their yearly development budgets and we need to use soft methods such as theatre to let this message sink.”
“The UK will continue to support Cameroon and countries of the Congo basin to get well-deserved benefits from developed countries that are most responsible for the problem, through international mechanisms and neootiations. “ The shows are free and open to the entire public.

Schedule
Garoua – 23 June at 15:00 at the Alliance Franco-Camerounaise
Santa – 29 June at 11:30 at the council hall
Kribi – 2 July 2010 at 14:30 at the Kribi I Council Salle des Fêtes
Limbe – 9 July at 17:00 at the Limbe I Council Hall

Environmental experts in the South West Region have appealed to the population of the region described as the “bread basket of Cameroon” to intensify tree planting activities and adopt sustainable agricultural practices so as to reduce land degradation and desertification.

The call was made by the Interim Regional Delegate of Environment and Protection of Nature for the South West, Peter Nchia Ngong, during activities marking the 16th World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, last Thursday 17 June in Buea. “To reduce land degradation and desertification, we are called upon to intensify tree planting activities, adopt sustainable agricultural practices, avoid rampant bush fires, avoid land pollution, endure proper waste management and rehabilitate degraded sites. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is a unique occasion to remind ourselves that desertification can be effectively tackled and that solutions are possible”, said the delegate.

Celebrated under the theme “Enhancing soils anywhere enhances life everywhere”, the delegate pointed out that the theme reflects the fact that 2010 was declared the International Year of Biological Diversity. He also highlighted the fact that desertification, land degradation and drought dramatically affect soil biodiversity which jeopardises soil productivity and threatens food security and brings to the limelight the benefits of promoting soil productivity which goes beyond the confines of a particular community.

Accordingly therefore, the 17 June was set aside as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought by the United Nations in 1974 and has been observed since 1995 to raise awareness of the issue and implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in countries experiencing serious drought and desertification, particularly in Africa.

It is therefore against this backdrop that the acting delegate called on all stakeholders to unite to preserve and conserve biological diversity and fight against desertification by adopting responsible behaviors towards the environment.

Speaking on behalf of South West Governor, the Economic Adviser at the Governor’s office, Augustine Chi, noted that the international community has recognised that desertification, land degradation and drought are major economic, social and environmental problems. For this reason, a day was set aside to sensitize the public on the environmental hazards. He revealed that the number of environmentally displaced population stands at FCFA 24 million around the world and that projections show that by 2050, about FCFA 200 million will be environmentally induced to migrate in search of food and water.
While highlighting the efforts of the government, the Governor’s Economic Counsel thus urged stakeholders to focus on investing in renewable sources of energy, economically friendly infrastructure and efficient energy use, as well as take concrete steps towards making the South West greener and cleaner.

The event was marked by a tree planting exercise and sketches by the University of Buea Environmental Science students which all focused on the theme.

In continuation of the new forest governance policy and efforts to combat the effects of climate change in Cameroon, the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, in partnership with council authorities has embarked on a nationwide tree planting project.

In order to permit the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife succeed in the planting of some three million trees across the country, municipal authorities have also been involved.

At a ceremony to hand over cheques worth FCFA five million, to some mayors of different councils organised at the Mvog-Betsi Zoological Garden on 10 June 2010, the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife reckoned efforts at mitigating climate change through afforestration could be more palpable if the project is decentralised and the communities directly implicated in the process.

“We intend to work with all stakeholders; civil society, churches, schools, council authorities and local administration etc,… and the government will spare  no effort to provide the necessary support to all those on board”, the Minister said.
All together, there were some 68 communities and 22 NGOs involved in the tree planting exercise, each receiving FCFA five million financial support.
Accordingly, each community and NGO involved is expected to plant not less than 3.000 trees. The Minister called on the Mayors who received the cheques on behalf of their council areas to ensure that the money was used for the purpose intended.
“We remain convinced that the state funds provided will be used for the purpose intended.  The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, in the spirit of true partnership has the will to share its budget in all the ten regions for this green country project exercise’’, he explained.
Presenting the situation of Forestry  in Cameroon, the Director of Forest, Samuel Ebia Ndongo, said Cameroon Forest covers over 22 million hectares, very rich and diversified in flora and fauna.
Out of these, 17.5 million is exploitable and 14 million hectares under permanent forest. This represents 60% of production forest and 40% of forest and wildlife reserve. Five regions in particular are known to be producers of service wood. They respectively include; the East, South, Centre, South West, Littoral and to a lesser extend West region. Some mayors  present at the cheque collection signing ceremony in Yaounde last week included the Mayors of Giuder, Nkongsamba, Ngoundere, Bertoua, Santa, Ebolowa 1, Bangante, Limbe 1, Dschang  and Buea.
They were all unanimous that the decision by the Minister to decentralise the tree planting exercise involving local Administrators was laudable. 
The ceremony ended with the Minister and his collaborators planting some trees at Swampy Valley area near the School of Administration and Magistracy {ENAM} Yaounde.
It should be recalled that a few weeks ago the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife signed another agreement with the British High Commissioner to Cameroon, Bharat Joshi, to intensify efforts at mitigating the effects of climate change.

As part of the 2010 World Environment Day, some 500 trees have been planted in Nsongwa village, Bamenda II subdivision by the Cameroon Traditional Rulers Against Climate Change, CAMTRACC, in the first phase of a tree planting campaign dubbed “Operation One Man One Tree”.

Speaking at the ceremony which also coincided with the celebration of the 50th birthday and 10th anniversary of the Fon of Nsongwa on the throne, the president of CAMTRACC, Fon Gwan Mbahyamsig III of Guzang, said everyone is aware of the fact that the ecosystem upon which all humanity depends is at risk due to climate change partly because of human actions and consequently the responsibility of all to act and seek solutions in order to bequeath a better environment to posterity.

Environmental experts in the South West Region have reiterated their call for a responsible behaviour towards the environment to preserve and conserve biological diversity.

This call was re-echoed in Buea Monday 7 June by the Interim Regional Delegate of Environment and Nature Protection for the South West, Peter Nchia Ghong, during activities marking the 37th edition of the World Environment Day under the theme “Many Species, One Planet, One Future”.

Stakeholders involved in the Youth Development Centre, YDC’s Vegetable Gardening, Tree Nursery and Women Empowerment Project have been sensitised on the aims and objectives as well as expected outcomes of the project.

The community sensitisation meeting took place Yesterday 8 June 2010 at the campus of the Government Teachers Training College, Bonadikombo, Limbe and was presided over by the Inspector of Basic Education for Limbe, represented by Mrs.  Nalova Nkam.