Introduction

Climate change is  impacting agricultural productivity across the world, especially in Cameroon where temperatures could rise by up to 3 degrees in some parts of the country (World Bank, 2023). This is equally driven by uncertain precipitation, droughts and desertification that have become the norm. While the immediate impact on food security and food price inflation is being felt, this could reverse the gains in poverty reduction seen over the last decade. Cameroon is geographically diverse and has all the major climates of the continent.

This brief will first describe the climate conditions of Cameroon, followed by a brief analysis of how climate change will impact the economy (human capital, GDP growth and economic development). It will then analyze policies that have been put in the place, the main issues with such policies and then conclude with policy recommendations.

Policy recommendations

• Cameroon should develop its capital market to access long-term funding for climate investment. Green bonds – an innovative financial product that raises funds for environmentally aligned sustainable development projects in accelerating climate change mitigation and adaptation- are a useful tool to meet the country’s climate commitments. Concessional finance will become increasingly expensive due to the long lead times of renewable energy projects.
• Climate actions also suffer from insufficient accountability and citizen engagement. Workshops are necessary to inform, educate and sensitize farmers and civil society on the impacts of climate change. The government has limited oversight capabilities and stakeholder exclusion in the policy making process has limited private sector engagement. A parliamentary committee should be formed to assess the implications of climate change and ensure that policies are enacted to integrate climate considerations into every ministry and public sector office.
• Rotation cropping an investment into more resilient crops will improve resilience in both infrastructure and food security. Farmers’ incomes will be insulated from extreme climate events over the long run.
• A more favorable business environment and fiscal space allows authorities more options to finance climate actions through means other than borrowing, thereby limiting GDP loss and achieving slightly faster growth.  A favorable business environment will attract private sector investment, deepen local markets for structured finance and democratize green investments over the long run.

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