Cameroon is blessed with an abundance of equatorial forests, which make up part of the Congo Basin recognized as the second largest equatorial forest in the world after the Amazon Basin.

Not surprisingly Cameroon is one of the biggest exporters of tropical hardwood in Africa. However, paradoxically the country faces the threat of encroaching desert in the north while the effects of climate change is now being seen in the forest area of south Cameroon.

The tragic state of affairs has attracted the attention of the government, which has implemented strategies in an attempt to curb the advancement of the phenomenon.

The first concrete action came from the Minister of Forests and Wildlife, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, who launched a vast campaign of planting 1 million trees across the country. The initiative even includes big cities like Yaounde or Douala, where green lungs have been created for city dwellers to enjoy shade and freshness brought about by nature.

Cameroon has more than 25 million hectares of forests, 13 percent of which has been lost over the last 20 years. This degradation is not just due to natural phenomenon, but also to the impact of humanity on the environment.

Big investment

The government has invested Cfa F 6 billion ($11 million) annually to curb the effects of desertification in the north and climate change in the south. Ngolle told a media conference earlier this year that people must not only plant trees but also maintain them.

Reforestation is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife, which aims to satisfy a number of needs, namely: beautification, restoring pastures, fuelwood and vegetation cover and ecotourism.  

"All this is also to face the consequences of climate change and the challenges of desertification," said Ngolle. The ministry is planning to plant at least 1 million trees every year, specifically targeting environmentally sensitive areas.

Dr. Samuel Nguiffo, an environmentalist and expert on forestry affairs and also the Secretary General of the Center for Environment and Development (CED) a local well known NGO in Cameroon, said the government action is positive and he had three points to comment on.

He said that planting a million trees a year was a very positive move, especially since the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife will be obliged to collaborate with local communities. Nguiffo also said that communities and local administrations must provide assistance to ensure that the trees remain alive during their critical growth period. Despite the good work done through this campaign, he warned that it is even more important to ensure sustainable management of the natural forests that already exist in Cameroon.

"Trees help to regulate the local climate. But this does not suffice. Trees should be planted, but we must also ensure protection of natural forests, and by this means we can have additional [positive] effect [on climate]," said Nguiffo. 

Cracking down

In March the Cameroon Government made the decision to crack down on illegal logging that has been ongoing in the country for years. The Ministry of Forests and Wildlife now cracks down heavily on all illegal logging operators in the country and metes out strict disciplinary action. The illegal logging is seen as a contributing factor of forest degradation and subsequently to climate change. According to the ministry, about 80 percent of Cameroon's sawn timber is exported to the European Union (EU), while 60 percent of its timber is exported to China. Cameroon, recently announced a trade agreement with the EU to remove all illegally logged wood from its supply chain to the EU and worldwide. The agreement states that by 2012 all wood-products from Cameroon to the EU must have a license showing where it was legally obtained. According to environmentalist Nguiffo, before the new measures taken by the government, the law was already clear, but obviously ignored by offenders.

"I think the effective solution is to severely punish the guilty in order to show others that the game is over. For me this is the only way that can get them to respect the law. Legal and illegal cutting of trees both contribute to climate change. That has been scientifically proven for many years."

While the action of planting trees is still in progress across the country, people remain curious to see what effect this will produce in years ahead.

Reporting from Cameroon