Watershed Degradation in the Bamendjin Area of the North West Region of Cameroon and Its Implication for Development

Abstract

<p>It is indeed a paradox that even with favourable natural endowments such as fertile soils and abundant surface water resources, some rural communities and regions still reflect major levels of poverty, food insufficiency, limited water supplies and water-related health problems. To ensure stability in food production and sustain food sufficiency in areas where local economies entirely depend on farming and the natural state of the environment, it is important to investigate the indications and implications of environmental degradation. Through the application of relevant field methods for data acquisition and analyses, the paper examines and proposes recommendation where ….. of the degradation of the Bamendjin Catchment area, which is located within the fertile volcanic province of the North West Region of Cameroon. The results reveal that poor land use have ushered in profound degradation of this watershed. This paper also provides the tools needed to improve on the perception and attitude of the inhabitants towards the exploitation of this watershed and their local environment in general.</p

To Label or Not? Governing the Costs and Benefits of Geographic Indication of an African Forest Honey Value Chain

“…However, conservation efforts and afforestation activities by beekeeping cooperatives and associations after the GI and related to the GI registration, have not been sufficient to turn around deforestation rates of the Kilum-Ijim forest. Whilst deforestation and forest degradation result from many different drivers, these drivers did not change significantly from over the periods before, during and after the GI (Kometa and Ebot, 2012;Ingram, 2014;Momo Solefack et al, 2016, 2018. The organized beekeepers in Oku were aware of the importance of managing the forest for a long-term sustained production of honey.…”

“…Interviews and observations before and after the GI indicate that the main drivers of deforestation and degradation, in order of importance took place at the forest edge and lower forest area, due to conversion to agriculture, goats, medicinal plant harvesting, particularly Prunus africana, and wood harvested for fuel and carving. In the upper forest and summit, the main drivers were free ranging cattle and goats (Kometa and Ebot, 2012;Ingram, 2014;Momo Solefack et al, 2018). The three institutions that govern the forests: traditional authorities, the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and the Community Forest management institutions, had long been aware of these problems, but were in some cases part of the problem, as they had insufficient resources to monitor and control and were unwilling or unable to sanction infringements.…”

The Bamendjin Dam and Its Implications in the Upper Noun Valley, Northwest Cameroon

“…Before the creation of the dam, most of the villages in the area were located in the plain characterized by flat and gentle slopes (1-6%) with fertile alluvial soils that favored year-round agro-pastoral activities. The moderately steep slopes (7-25%) characterized by granitic soils and undulating topography also favored human settlement and agro-pastoral activities (Kometa & Ebot, 2012). After the dam most villages were forced to resettle on land with higher relief, about 25 to 55% slopes, and basaltic and trachytic soils that supported only moderate agro-pastoral activities.…”

“…Cholera epidemics also have been common due to poor drinking water quality. The cholera outbreak in Babungo village in 1996-1997 was attributed to contaminated water downstream caused by the used of toxic chemicals upstream by herders treating animals for ecto-parasites (Kometa & Ebot, 2012). Climate change, population growth and land scarcity have minimized the degree of success for most measures to reduce the spread of these infectious diseases.…”

“…7, No. 6; deforestation causing severe soil erosion, and environmental pollution (Lambi, 2001;Kometa and Ebot, 2012;Ngwa 2003). This situation is compounded by a drop in the water table and insufficient potable spring water from nearby watersheds.…”