GEF Prodoc TRI Cameroon 28 02 18
International Union for the Conservation of Nature Country: Cameroon PROJECT DOCUMENT Project Title: Supporting Landscape Restoration and Sustainable Use of local plant species and tree products (Bambusa ssp, Irvingia spp, etc) for Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Livelihoods and Emissions Reduction in Cameroon BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT The Republic of Cameroon has a diverse ecological landscape, earning her the title “Africa in Miniature”. The southern portions of Cameroon’s forests are part of the Congo Basin forest ecosystem, the second largest remaining contiguous block of rainforest on Earth, after the Amazon. In addition to extensive Mangrove belts, Cameroon also holds significant portions of the Lower Guinea Forest Ecosystems and zones of endemism extending into densely settled portions of the Western Highlands and Montagne forests. The North of the country comprising the Dry Sudano-Sahelian Savannah Zones is rich in wildlife, and home to dense human and livestock populations. Much of the population residing in these areas lives in extreme poverty. This diversity in biomes makes Cameroon one of the most important and unique hotspots for biodiversity in Africa. However, human population growth, migrations, livelihoods strategies, rudimentary technologies and unsustainable land use for agriculture and small-scale forestry, energy and livestock, are contributing to biodiversity loss and landscape degradation in Cameroon. Despite strong institutional frameworks, forest and environmental policies/legislation, and a human resource capital, Cameroon’s network of biomes that include all types of forests, tree-systems, savannahs, agricultural mosaics, drylands, etc., are progresively confronted by various forms of degradation. Degradation, which is progressive loss of ecosystem functions (food sources, water quality and availability, biodversity, soil fertility, etc), now threatens the livelihoods of millions of Cameroonians, especially vulnerable groups like women, children and indigenous populations.
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