(Business in Cameroon) - In Cameroon, the tree cover loss has been increasing over the past ten years, according to a recent document published by the European Union delegation. “Estimates are that Cameroon loses three times the size of its capital Yaoundé (183 km2) in forest every year,” the document stresses.  

This situation worsens the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, socio-economic activities, and the population. To address it, the EU suggests reforestation, presented as one of the most obvious solutions to restore the ecosystem, capture carbon, and improve the revenues of local communities. 

In that regard, the EU and the Association of Forest Councils of Cameroon claim they have reforested and rehabilitated over 2,300 hectares of lands in seven regions in the country with a special focus on trees with economic and ecological added value. The EU also claims support to the Central African Forest Observatory OFAC, a special unit of the COMIFAC that provides regular and detailed data for sustainable and improved management of natural resources.

In the framework of the Bonn Challenge, Cameroon committed to restoring 12 million hectares of forest by 2030. The said challenge was initiated in Bonn, Germany, in 2011, as a global pledge to restore 150 million hectares of degraded lands by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030. 

S.A.