Cameroon

Country Description

Cameroon holds 11% of the Congo basin forests which have the second largest extent of tropical rain forest in the world

Cameroon has a total surface area of 475 000 km², with 40% of the total surface area covered by an estimated 19.6 million hectares of forests. These forests represent 11% of the Congo basin forest massif and constitute principally humid dense evergreen forest, humid dense deciduous forest, gallery forest, swamp forest and mangroves. A majority of the population depend directly or indirectly on the forest for their livelihoods with the forest sector contributing approximately 12% of the Gross National Product and timber alone 25% of the export.

Small-holder agriculture and fuelwood extraction cause deforestation

Deforestation and forest degradation are prevalent threats with the gross annual deforestation rate ranging from 0.4 to 1%. The immediate causes of deforestation are agricultural extension, timber extraction, and settlement extension. Small-holder agriculture and fuelwood extraction supposedly account for 90% of the deforestation.

Development of a National REDD+ Strategy

R-PIN submission in July 2008 and R-PP approved in March 2013

The Cameroonian government has been actively involved in the REDD+ process since its inception and in collaboration with international and local partners has been implementing REDD+ pilots to address key methodological issues related to the national REDD policy formulation. Under the umbrella of the Central African Forest Commission, the country has made submissions to the Subsidiary Body for Science and Technological Advice. An important issue that has been raised by Cameroon and other Congo basin countries is the consideration of REDD+ as a tool of sustainable development not just a mechanism to abate global warming. Specifically, REDD+ is anticipated to help Cameroon achieve the sustainable development objective established by the government in the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP) for its 2035 vision. The country is also a member of the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and successfully submitted its Readiness Plan Idea Note (R-PIN) to the FCPF in July 2008. In March 2013, FCPF has approved Cameroon’s REDD+ Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP) and awarded a grant of US$3.6 million to the country to implement the R-PP.

MINEPDED acts as a key stakeholder of the REDD process

The key stakeholder of the REDD process in Cameroon is the Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED), which hosts the UNFCCC Focal Point. MINEPDED is responsible for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of government’s environmental policies. The UNFCCC Focal Point is located in the Unit of Ecologic Monitoring which coordinates the REDD process amongst other climate change related programmes: climate change adaption, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) etc. This unit is in charge of Greenhouse Gas reporting in all sectors including the forestry sector.

MINFOF is the second key stakeholder

Another key stakeholder is the Ministry of Forest and Wildlife (MINFOF). MINFOF is responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of government’s forest and wildlife policies. The Sub-Department of Forest Inventory and Management under the supervision of the Department of Forestry is responsible of Forest Cover Mapping and Inventory.