Introduction
For more than a decade, Cameroon has been implementing policies to protect the environment, strategies
and plans, including Law No. 96/12 of August 05, 1996, the Framework Law on Environmental
Management, the Stratégie et Plan d’Action National pour la Biodiversité (SPANB), the Plan d’Action
National de Lutte Contre la Désertification (PANLCD), the Plan National d’Adaptation aux
Changements Climatiques (PNACC), the Paris Agreement (CDN, SNIGES), the Stratégie nationale
REDD+, etc. The aim of these so-called green policies is to promote environmental conservation and
ensure sustainable development. In this article, we will examine the impact of these policies over the
last ten years. This article looks at the implications of said policies on the environment, the economy
and local communities. It concludes with policy recommendations
1. Impact on the environment
The impact of green policies on the environment shows a mixed level of performance. Efforts to
conserve and protect biodiversity are a perfect illustration. Indeed, in 2018, 20.8% of terrestrial protected
area coverage was established, exceeding the global target set at 17% (MINEPDED, 2018). Between
2015 and 2020, the national deforestation rate stood at 0.27% (Forest Resources Assessment, 2020).
However, according to the World Bank report (2022), between 2001 and 2020, more than 1.5 million
hectares of forest were lost. The same report indicates that over 2 million people live in drought-affected
areas. According to Global Forest Watch (2020), the loss of primary forests in Cameroon has doubled
in 2020 compared to 2019, which will make Cameroon one of the ten major deforestation fronts over
the same period. Various reports show that the threats linked to deforestation and forest degradation are
growing rapidly (Rémi d’Annunzio, 2019).
However, despite this relatively poor performance, the policies put in place by the Cameroonian
government over the past ten years have nevertheless enabled the restoration of land in severely
degraded areas, the restoration of mangrove ecosystems, and the promotion and valorization of genetic
resources and associated traditional knowledge (MINEPDED, 2019). According to MINEPDED (2018),
around fourteen thousand five hundred hectares of degraded sites have been restored, nearly two million
two hundred thousand trees have been planted to reduce pressure on forest resources. Environmental
inspections have been carried out to ensure that companies comply with the terms of their Environmental
Management Plans.
2 Public electricity generation from renewable energies, meanwhile, has advanced considerably. It rose
from 41.56 GWh in 2015 to 66.3 GWh in 2019 (MINEPDED, 2021). As part of the fight against climate
change, Cameroon plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 32% by 2035. However, it must be
acknowledged that the actions undertaken to date, notably through the commitment to the REDD+
process, the implementation of resilience actions, communication on climate change as well as the
creation of the National Observatory on Climate Change (ONACC) have made it possible to strengthen
the resilience of populations to the effects of climate change and the reduction of Emissions due to
Deforestation and Forest Degradation (MINEPDED, 2019).
Moreover, thanks to reforestation and renewable energies, Cameroon has reduced its emissions from
0.43 tonnes of CO2 per capita in 2018 to 0.38 tonnes in 2021. Together, these initiatives have improved
energy and resource efficiency, prevented the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and
contributed to sustainable environmental management.
2. Impact on the economy
Around two million people (9% of Cameroon’s population) live in drought-affected areas, leaving
around 8% of GDP vulnerable (Ngum et al, 2019). Tropical forests provide food, medicine, fuel and
building materials for eight million people and cover 40% of the country (Nzouankeu, 2021). Changes
in temperature, rainfall and drought expose their populations to an increased risk of poverty and famine.
GDP will be impacted by three main channels: labor productivity, agricultural productivity (yield) and
health will be impacted by six channels, according to the World Bank. The greatest impact will come
from losses in labor productivity due to heat stress, lower agricultural productivity and health-related
shocks, which represent an estimated loss of 60%, 20% and 15% of GDP respectively (World Bank,
2023).
Changes in rainfall patterns and rising temperatures will have an impact on agricultural yields, while
livestock revenues will be affected by reduced grazing, animal heat stress and changes in rainfall. An
analysis by the World Bank (2023) reveals that agricultural production will fall by 7.5% and 8.5% in a
reform or no-reform scenario.
3. Impact on local communities
Green policies have had a major impact on local communities. In terms of access to clean, sustainable
energy services, the rate of access to electricity has risen sharply. According to the Institut National de
[3] la Statistique (INS), the rate of access to electricity in Cameroon was 62.2% in 2018 and estimated at
70% in 2021. This rate is 90% in urban areas and 26.7% in rural areas. Investments in the energy sector
have therefore improved the quality of life and well-being of local populations, despite the fact that
access to energy services in rural areas is still low.
Projects implemented in rural areas to conserve and protect biodiversity, combat climate change etc., in
recent years have also generated a significant number of jobs in different sectors ((MINEPDED, 2019).
Good practices for resilience and adaptation to climate change are being implemented in local
communities, and they have been actively involved in the formulation and implementation of green
policies.
Evolution of the Green Growth Index in Cameroon
The figure below shows the relatively weak performance of green policies from 2010 to 2021. The
country’s GVI rose from 47.8 in 2010 to 48.7 in 2021, with an average of 48 (AfDB, 2023). The LCI
has clearly not grown significantly. This means that the green policies implemented over the past ten
years have had relatively little impact. This explains the stability of green growth.
DVI evolution in Cameroon (2010-2021) -in %
Source : AfDB, Rapport pays 2023 – Cameroun
Recommendations
● Cameroon should develop its capital market to access long-term financing for climate investments.
Green bonds – an innovative financial product that raises funds for environmentally sustainable
development projects aimed at accelerating climate change mitigation and adaptation – are a useful tool
for meeting the country’s climate commitments. Concessional financing will become increasingly
expensive due to the long lead times for renewable energy projects and a natural risk premium for
projects in developing market economies.
● Climate action also suffers from a lack of citizen responsibility and commitment. Workshops are
needed to inform, educate and raise awareness among farmers and civil society of the impacts of climate
change. Government has limited oversight capacity, and the exclusion of stakeholders in the policy
making process has limited private sector engagement.
● Crop rotation and investment in more resilient crops will improve the resilience of infrastructure and
food security. Farmers’ incomes will be protected in the long term from extreme weather events.
● A favorable business environment will attract private sector investment, deepen local structured
finance markets and democratize long-term green investments.
Conclusion
The overall efforts made after ten years of action to stimulate green growth are relatively limited. But
Cameroon should improve and strengthen its green policies for more accelerated growth and sustainable
development.
Références
1. World Bank Group. 2022. Cameroun-Rapport National sur le Climat et le Développement.
https://www.banquemondiale.org/fr/news/press-release/2022/11/04/with-prompt-reforms
cameroon-can-turn-wealth-into-a-green-and-resilient-future-for-all
2.Rapport MINEPDED (2021), Bilan des cinq années de la mise en œuvre de l’accord de Paris
au Cameroun. https://minepded.gov.cm/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BILAN-DE-OEUVRE
DE-LAPC.pdf
3. Rémi d’Annunzio. 2019. Tendances et dynamiques de la déforestation et dégradation des
forêts en Afrique Centrale. Exposé technique. CAFI INGO meeting Bonn, 2 April 2019.
https://www.cafi.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/Session%202%20
%20FAO%20Remi%20D%20Annunzio.pdf
4.Banque Mondiale (2022). Vers un avenir vert et résilient pour les camerounais.
https://www.banquemondiale.org/fr/news/feature/2022/11/04/towards-a-people-centered
green-and-resilient-cameroon
5. Annuaire statistique MINEPDED, édition 2019. https://ins-cameroun.cm/wp content/uploads/2023/06/Annuaire-Statistique-MINEPDED-Janvier-2020.pdf
6.MINEPDED (2018), 25 ans d’actions pour la Biodiversité, https://minepded.gov.cm/wp content/uploads/2021/12/25-ans-d’actions-Biodiversité.pdf
7.Forest Resources Assessment (2020) de l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’Alimentation
et l’Agriculture (FAO). https://forestsnews.cifor.org/71473/deforestation-au-cameroun
quelles-methodes-de-detection-pour-quelles-decisions-politiques?fnl=en
8.Agence de Régulation des Marchés Publics (2023). Rural electrification and access to energy project management
unit in underserved regions https://armp.cm/details?type_publication=AMI§id_publication=3417 of Cameroon.
9. Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Développement, Rpport Pays, Cameroun (2023), Mobiliser les financements du secteur privé en faveur du climat et de la croissance verte. https://www.afdb.org/fr/documents/rapport-pays-2023-cameroun-mobiliser-les-financements du-secteur-prive-en-faveur-du-climat-et-de-la-croissance-verte
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13. Nzouankeu, A. (2021). Drought in Lake Chad Region Heightens Conflicts Between Herders and Farmers. VOA News (blog), December 17, 2021, https://www.voanews.com/a/drought inlake-chad-region-heightens-conflicts-between-herders-and-farmers/6358662.html
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Variability. World Bank, Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/cameroon/trends-variability
projections
AUTHORS
Haiwang Djamo Ferdinang Henri Kouam
&
Research Analyst Founder & Executive Director
