Cameroon is a high forest cover country, with around 42% of the total land area (equivalent to 20 million ha) covered in forest - 75% of which is dense forest. Cameroon also has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the Congo Basin; according to the FAO the annual average deforestation rate in Cameroon is around 1% per year equivalent to a loss of around 200,000 ha per year.
Cameroon has been engaged in international negotiations on REDD since 2005 and is an active member of the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) and the Working Group on Climate Change. Within this context Cameroon has contributed to the preparation and communication of five Congo Basin country submissions to the UNFCCC that helped to highlight the role of forest degradation and sustainable forest management in the REDD discussions. In its proposal Cameroon supports a two phased approach, with both funds and markets, a historical reference emission level with development adjustment factors and national and sub-national implementation.
Cameroon is a member of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) programme and successfully submitted its R-PIN to the FCPF in July 2008. In November 2010, after a year of discussions with the World Bank, the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP) received a USD 200,000 grant for R-PP elaboration. If the R-PP is submitted and accepted by the FCPF, Cameroon will be eligible to a further USD 3.4 million for its implementation. Cameroon is also engaged with the EU FLEGT process to combat illegal logging. The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the EU and Cameroon was signed in May 2010 and is expected to enter into force in two years.
Management and coordination
A longstanding coordination and consultation mechanism in Cameroon is the Consultation Circle of Partners of MINFOF/MINEP (CCPM) that gathers together donors and international organisations that support those two ministries. The CCPM, which has convened around a hundred meetings over ten years, plays an important role in coordinating and aligning government aid to the forestry and environment sectors, mainly through the Forest and Environment Sector Programme (FESP). In general, however, the national REDD process in Cameroon is not yet very well coordinated. While several governmental agencies are engaged in the design and implementation of the REDD strategy, very few have the capacity to engage and are therefore not effectively involved in the process. In addition there is a division of labour across various ministries that has not yet been coordinated. For example, emission reduction activities in both the Permanent Forest Estate (Domaine forestier permament; DFP) and the Non-Permanent Forest Estate (Domaine forestier non-permament; DFNP) would automatically fall under the purview of the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (MINFOF), whereas the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP) would most likely be the lead agency in the monitoring, reporting and verification aspects of REDD. As yet there isn’t an official process to coordinate between these two ministries, but a plan is underway to gather together representatives from both MINFOF and MINEP to work on REDD.
So far, only a few representatives have been involved in both the Cameroon REDD Pilot Project and in the writing of the terms of reference for the R-PP. Beyond MINEP and MINFOF, a law is currently under development to create a National REDD Committee that would gather together the different ministries and stakeholders that could be affected by the implementation of a national REDD strategy. The process of R-PP development and the R-PP itself are expected to clarify and structure the REDD coordination among ministries, and with other stakeholders (donors, civil society and private sector). One of the key features of success of this coordination will be the willingness and capacity both technically and financially of stakeholders to work together.
Stakeholder engagement and participation
The Forest Governance Facility (FGF) created in partnership in 2006 between MINFOF, the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), and the Department for International Development (DFID) is another key example of a process of stakeholder engagement in Cameroon. The aim of the FGF, together with the Forest and Environment Sector Programme (FESP), is to facilitate the participation of non-state actors in the development and implementation of government policies in the forestry sector (Ingram and de Baan 2005). In 2009 the FGF was transferred to Planet Survey thereby fulfilling a requirement that after two years the initiative would be transferred to a Cameroonian civil society organization (Dkamela, 2011). As discussed above, a law is also currently under development in Cameroon to create a National REDD Committee that would bring together the different ministries and stakeholders affected by the implementation of a national REDD strategy
The Cameroon FCPF programme is expected to clarify the structure of the REDD process within Cameroon, both among ministries and with other stakeholders (i.e. donors, civil society and the private sector). Whilst many organizations were consulted during the formulation of the Cameroon R-PIN, submitted to the FCPF in July 2008, one of the conclusions of the external review was the need for more consultation with both governmental agencies (including MINFOF) and the stakeholders that are engaged in the forestry sector that have not yet become involved in the process such as traditional swiddeners, hunter-gatherers, community forest managers, municipal councils, regional councils, the forestry industry, agribusiness, civil society organizations and so on. At the project level, there has been some civil society and private sector engagement with grassroots communities for example through the Making REDD Work for the Congo Basin project, Pro-Poor REDD project and a Centre for Environment and Development (CED) initiative with Baka and Bagyeli pygmies.
Rights and tenure
Whist Cameroon has not yet established a coherent policy to address the rights of indigenous populations, certain ad hoc legislation has been introduced for individual programmes in response to pressure from international organisations (Dkamela, 2011). For example, to meet World Bank Operational Policies on indigenous peoples the Pygmy Peoples Development Plan (PPDP) was established as part of the Forest and Environment Sector Programme (FESP) to facilitate the Pygmies’ access to community forests and to ensure fair distribution of the Annual Forest Fee (AFF) and the Wildlife Tax.
Ordinance No. 74/1 of 6 July 1974 establishes the rules governing land tenure in Cameroon. Under this law, all land that is not privately registered is owned by the state and private ownership can only be acquired on land that is used productively through a registration process. In practice however, only a small percentage of land has been registered and most forest people gain access to state-held land through local systems of resource tenure (Cotula and Mayers, 2009). One of the most important aspects of Cameroon’s 1994 Forestry Law is the division of its forest into two domains (Dkamela, 2011): a Permanent Forest Estate (Domaine forestier permament; DFP), which must permanently serve as forest and be sustainably managed according to approved plans, and a Non-Permanent Forest Estate (Domaine forestier non-permament; DFNP) that can be used for other purposes. The DFP accounts for the majority of the country’s forests, covering 80% of the total forest area, with the DFNP accounting for the remaining 20% (de Wasseige et al. 2009). Whilst both of these areas are under some form of state control, they differ in terms of how the state can grant use and enjoyment rights to civil society or the private sector. The DFP includes both production and protection forests and can be in the public or private domain as well as in the domain of a local council. Forests in the DFNP are in the national domain but under certain circumstances may be privately owned (Dkamela, 2011). Under the 1994 Forestry Law, with the exception of protected areas, the local population has the right to harvest forest products for their household use but all commercial use is subject to licensing. Cameroon has also established a community forestry programme that transfers the management rights from government to the village communities limited to management up to 5000 ha.
Compliance (incentives and enforcement)
Illegal logging is a major concern in Cameroon and illegal practices occur at many stages from the issuance of fake concession permits that are not registered in the official figures to illegal transport and export processes that do not comply with official annual cutting limitations. An international NGO - Resource Extraction Monitoring (REM) - has been established as an independent observer in Cameroon to monitor forest exploitation activities. But although there is now a quarterly publication of illegal logging cases and fines, only a small proportion of fines are actually paid and in a number of cases, fines are negotiated down to between 70-98% of their initial amount, thereby weakening the impact of the independent observer (Dkamela, 2011). Another partnership between MINFOF and the Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA) has set up a system of compliance with wildlife legislation. LAGA set up a system to track and halt practices that jeopardise biodiversity, in particular the commercial poaching and sale of protected species. It is involved with legal proceedings, from field investigations to bringing cases before the law courts (Dkamela, 2011).
Reference level
In its submission to the UNFCCC Cameroon has proposed an historic reference level with a development adjustment factor to take into account national circumstances such as an increase in population (UNFCCC, 2008). Aside from this process, very little has been elaborated in Cameroon at the government level in terms of reference levels. As with other elements it is expected that the R-PP process under the FCPF will elaborate the process for establishing a reference level in Cameroon. At the project level, whilst there is still a scarcity of information across many projects, there is a tendency to use projected reference levels, see e.g. the Mt. Cameroon National Park REDD and the Cross River Gorilla Landscape projects.
Safeguards
Cameroon does not have a formal system for addressing safeguards at the national or state level. The 1994 Forestry Law stipulates that Permanent Forest Estate (DFP) zones should be representative of the national biodiversity and serve as a habitat for wildlife. At the project level of the projects and activities being developed at the project level aim to deliver additional environmental and social benefits. Many of these are using voluntary standards such as the Plan Vivo standard to ensure that projects deliver more than just climate benefits.
MRV
Cameroon’s capacity to monitor deforestation remains relatively low. Whilst there are several sources of official data including forest concession data, financial data and general statistics, at the national level Cameroon does not currently have institutional capacity to monitor emissions from the forest sector. The National Observatory on Climate Change (ONACC) would in theory be well positioned to take on this role, but would require technical and human capacity building to make this an effective organisation. At the project level, initiatives such as the Reducing Emissions from all Land Uses (REALU) project and the REDD Cameroon Pilot Project will be helpful in constructing MRV systems, especially those relating to emissions from the forest sector.
Several forest cover change analyses have been performed in Cameroon, across different periods and areas. For example, in 2005, as part of its national communication to the UNFCCC, Cameroon estimated its total GHG emissions based on 1994 national statistics and IPCC guidelines. The R-PIN document clearly underlines the limitations of these estimates, though, due to the lack of reliability of data, the lack of national competence, the lack of reliable cartographic information and GIS data and the lack of reliable national statistics. A partnership of MINFOF and WRI has also contributed to the development of information to monitor compliance with logging standards and the state of forest resources (Mertens et al. 2007).
Statistics
According to the FAO, forest cover in Cameroon is around 20 million hectares but independent studies put the forest cover at around 22.5 million ha, or 48% of the national territory (de Wasseige et al. 2009). The forest is made up of two major types: dense forests and other forests. Dense forests make up the majority of Cameroon’s forests and are estimated to cover 17 million ha. According to the FAO, the annual average deforestation rate in Cameroon for the 1980–1995 period was 0.6%, or a loss of close to 2 million ha (WRI, UNEP, UNDP and World Bank 1998). The rate reportedly rose to 0.9% for the 1990–2000 period and reached 1% between 2000 and 2005 (FAO 2006). Recent work by Duveiller et al. (2008), used in de Wasseige et al. (2009), found the FAO figures to be too high. They estimate the average net annual deforestation rate at 0.14% for the 1990–2000 period, with a gross average deforestation rate of about 0.2%. These figures suggest that Cameroon has the second highest deforestation rate of Congo Basin countries, after the Democratic Republic of Congo (0.2% net deforestation). Protected areas in Cameroon are home to around 90% of the country’s animal species, 95% of plant species, close to 65% of habitats and 80% of the country’s ecosystems (MINFOF 2008). Cameroon’s rich biodiversity has made it one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots; it ranks fifth in Africa for biodiversity (MINEF and UNDP 1999) and the country is home to nearly 8,000 species of plants, 250 mammals, 542 fish, 848 birds, 330 reptiles, and 200 amphibians many of which are endemic (Fomete Nembot and Tchanou 1998). Most of the country’s biodiversity is located in forested areas and the lower Guinean forest, which is renowned for its high number of endemic plant and animal species, is one of the country’s key biodiversity hotspots (Devers and Vande Weghe 2007).
Institutions
The Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP) is coordinating the overall REDD process in Cameroon through its Ecological Monitoring Unit (CMSE). Several national institutions and a few Cameroonian civil society organisations such as the Centre for Environment and Development (CED) are involved in REDD+ in Cameroon, but very few are effectively trained and involved at governmental level. Otherwise the remainder of REDD actors in Cameroon are mainly international organizations including large conservation NGOs, bilateral and multilateral donors, and research institutes and think tanks. Many of the international institutions working on REDD in Cameroon are involved through subnational projects, through research initiatives and through their support of REDD activities.
Legal framework
Whilst very few laws in Cameroon are related directly to REDD, many laws have been established that outline a system for conserving forests and defining property rights and land tenure that therefore provide a framework for the development of REDD in Cameroon. One of the few REDD specific laws in Cameroon is Decision No.09/MINEP of 15 January 2009 on the creation of a Steering Committee for the REDD Cameroon Pilot Project. This law establishes a Steering Committee in charge of political, technical and strategic orientations of the REDD+ Pilot Project in Cameroon. The Committee also approves roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the REDD process, provides advice to COMIFAC on the SBSTA negotiations and acts as REDD focal point in Cameroon. Other laws that are significant in Cameroon are the 1994 Forestry Law, which reformed the 1982 Forestry Code and provides clear orientations toward sustainable forest use, and Decree No.2009/410 of 10 December 2009, which established the National Observatory on Climate Change (ONACC).
Plans and policies
While a national plan for REDD in Cameroon has not yet been elaborated, this process is expected to start soon under the World Bank FCPF Readiness Programme. Under the FCPF process Cameroon is planning to select a consulting bureau to support the government in its development of the Readiness Preparation Plan (R-PP). Cameroon’s main objectives for REDD are expressed in its 2009 position paper (MINEP, 2009). In this paper, Cameroon defends a REDD mechanism with two phases using two funding types - both funds and markets, a historical reference level with development adjustment factors and both national and sub-national implementation. Beyond the national plan, which is still to be defined, Cameroon’s forest and environment laws have been translated into different policies including the National Plan of Environmental Management (PNGE), the Forest Environment Sector Programme (PSFE) and the Zoning Plan that clearly expresses the orientation towards sustainable forest management (SFM). The FESP is the most tangible indication of Cameroon’s efforts to conserve forests and biodiversity. Established in 2004, it is divided into five components: Regulation and environment information management; Production forest management; Protected area and wildlife management; Community forest resources management; and Institutional strengthening, training and research.
Activities
There are around twenty REDD activities ongoing in Cameroon at various stages of implementation and with varying objectives ranging from the conservation of biodiversity and poverty alleviation to the development of a national accounting process. The REDD Pilot Project - being developed under the COMIFAC group - is expected to develop tools to account for emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, facilitate regional and international exchange on learning experiences and identify opportunities for national incentive schemes and strengthen forest governance. Several of these initiatives (e.g. Pro-poor REDD Project, TRIDOM, Sangha Tri-national (TNS) Landscape project) are being implemented across multiple countries to explore trans-boundary conservation of the Congo Basin. REDD activities in Cameroon are being implemented by a variety of actors including international NGOs such as WWF and WCS, national NGOs including the Center for Environment and Development (CED) and government agencies.
Financing
The majority of finance for REDD in Cameroon has been delivered through bilateral or multilateral channels for the support of specific projects. The sources of finance are fragmented and have come from a range of developed country governments (e.g. DANIDA, KfW, GTZ, EU, DFID), multilateral organisation (e.g. Global Environment Facility) and NGOs. Cameroon is also engaged in the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) programme. It successfully submitted its R-PIN to the FCPF in July 2008 and after a year of discussion with the World Bank, Cameroon received a grant in November 2010 of USD 200,000 for the elaboration of its Readiness Preparation Plan (R-PP). Once the R-PP has been submitted and accepted by the FCPF, Cameroon will be eligible to a further USD 3.4 million for the implementation of its R-PP. At the national level Cameroon has a financial mechanism to support forest conservation. Articles 67 and 68 of the 1994 Forestry Law establish the Annual Forest Fee (AFF), which allocates a portion of finance from forest concessions to riparian populations. Circular No. 370/LC/MINEF/CAB of 22 February 1996 introduces a tax of 1000 FCFA per cubic metre of wood leaving the logging site of a vente de coupe, which is paid to riparian communities for social welfare purposes.
Recommended Reading
External Links
References
EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND MINISTRY OF FORESTS AND WILDLIFE OF CAMEROON. 2010. FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement between Cameroon and the European Union: Briefing Note.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION. 2010. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010.
MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE PROTECTION. 2008. The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Readiness Plan Idea Note (R-PIN). Republic of Cameroon.
MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE PROTECTION. 2008. The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Readiness Plan Idea Note (R-PIN). Republic of Cameroon.
COTULA, L., MAYER, J. 2009. Tenure in REDD: Start-point or afterthought. IIED.
DE WASSEIGE, C., et al. 2009. Les forêts du Bassin du Congo: état des forêts 2008. EU Publications Office.
DKAMELA, GUY PATRICE. 2011. The context of REDD+ in Cameroon: Drivers, agents and institutions. CIFOR.
INGRAM, I. AND DE BAAN, P. 2005. Forest Governance Facility: introducing a multi-stakeholder approach in Cameroon’s forest and environment sector. Netherlands Development Organisation, Department for International Development.
MERTENS, B.,et al. 2007. Atlas forestier interactif du Cameroun (version 2.0): document de synthèse. World Resources Institute.
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE. 2008. Views on outstanding methodological issues related to policy approaches and positive incentives to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. Submissions from Parties.
DE WASSEIGE, C., et al. 2009. Les forêts du Bassin du Congo: état des forêts 2008. EU Publications Office.
DEVERS, D. & VANDE WEGHE, J.P. (eds.) 2007. Les forêts du Bassin du Congo: état des forêts 2006. Partenariat sur les Forêts du Bassin du Congo.
DUVEILLER, G., et al. 2008. Deforestation in Central Africa: estimate at regional, national and landscapes levels by advanced processing of systematically distributed Landsat extracts. Remote Sensing of Environment 112(5): 1969–1981.
FOMETE NEMBOT, T. & TCHANOU, Z. 1998. La gestion des écosystèmes forestiers du Cameroun à l’aube de l’an 2000, Volume 1. International Union for the Conservation of Nature/Conference on Moist Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION. 2006. Global forest resources assessment 2005: progress towards sustainable forest management.
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS & UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME. 1999. Etat des lieux, stratégie et plan d’action national de la diversité biologique (SNPADB).
MINISTRY OF FORESTS AND WILDLIFE. 2008. Indicateurs FORAF pour le suivi de l’état des forêts d’Afrique centrale.
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE, UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME, UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME & WORLD BANK. 1998. World Resources 1998-99. Oxford University Press, New York.
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE PROTECTION. 2009. Position camerounaise sur les discussions internationales concernant le changement climatique.
