Forests and woodland represent 78% of total land use in Cameroon of which 40% is covered by the rainforest alone.
Cameroon lost some 1.6 million ha of tree cover between 2002 and 2020
Deforestation rose by 0.1% between 2000 and 2023
Deforestation is the main cause of land degradation
Deforestation is causing the loss of vegetative cover thus reducing the carbon sequestration potential of the vegetation.
Deforestation stems from the over harvesting of fuel wood, conversion of woodland to large scale crop or livestock production areas and uncontrolled forest fires often started to clear land for farming or to facilitate hunting of wildlife;
Land degradation is a key barrier to increasing agricultural yields due to soil erosion and declining soil organic matter content.
Land degradation continues to represent a fundamental obstacle to fostering economic growth, sustaining rural livelihoods, and reducing the incidence and severity of poverty in the country.
The Western Highlands which is an agro-ecological zone highly dependent on the agro-silvo-pastoral sector, experiences severe land degradation
The low income in the rural areas of the Western Highlands is a direct consequence of declining soil fertility as a result of poor farmland management and unsustainable extraction of fuel wood as source of domestic energy
Land degradation in this zone is threatening the integrity of the ecosystems, the niches for above and below ground biodiversity, soil nutrient stuck, carbon sequestration, hydrological functions and resilience to climate change.
Our ambitious biodiversity conservation programs focus on the following;