Brief land use description:
Existing logging concessions make up an estimated 90,926 Ha while 5 existing community forests make up 11,873 Ha. On and off-shore petroleum concessions also exist while major agro-Industrial plantations and leases comprise; SGSOC – 15,700 Ha lease; PAMOL=19,000 ha; and CDC = 41,000 ha). There are other multiple use areas and vast agroforestry zones in the southwest.
The south west boasts five protected areas – four national parks (Korup, Mount Cameroon, Bakossi and Takamanda) and one Wildlife sanctuary (Banyang Mbo). There is a marine protected area (Ndongere) in preparation while the Rumpi Hills and Kwende Hills are important watersheds. Rumpi Hills also has upper guinea forests while the proposed Ndongere protected area (125 259 ha making 56.6% of Cameroon’s mangroves) hosts the most extensive single mangrove forest block on the West and Central Africa coast.
Current restoration priorities for the South west landscapes.
Under the WWF FLR in Africa Initiative, contact has been made between CDC, PAMOL and the US based private sector company – FACET POWER. The restoration goals under this partnership are to be focused on mangroves and supporting coastal resilience. They will consist of a negotiated, quid pro quo agreement between local councils, communities, WWF, FACET and CDC (CSR) to make Biochar pellets available as alternative renewable energy for use by communities for avoided degradation and support to restoration of Mangrove forests in the Rio Del Estuary (proposed Ndongere National Park). Coastal zones restoration for adaptation often adopt a landscape approach and therefore, activities ongoing in the related watersheds, such as the Rumpi Hills, with direct impact on the Rio Del Rey Mangroves will also be of interest.
Finally, the Southwest has been going through socio-political crisis since 2016. This has created concerns for Wildlife such as Elephants and Primates. It is important to support studies which can confirm absence and presence of charismatic species on the peripheries of natural parks like Korup, recently made into a Man and Biosphere Reserve.
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