The Mount Cameroon REDD+ initiative is managed by GFA ENVEST under the Program for Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Southwest Region of Cameroon (PSMNR-SW), which has supported conservation and livelihoods in the region since 2006. Launched in 2008 as a means of securing sustainable funding after the end of official development assistance (ODA) for PSMNR-SW, the initiative focuses on 41 villages surrounding Mount Cameroon National Park (MCNP), which was officially created in 2009. The REDD+ initiative aims to reduce forest loss and increase forest carbon stock by offering support for people whose livelihoods are dependent on protecting forests in and around the park. This chapter reports findings from four villages (MTC1, MCT2, MCT3 and MTC4) targeted for REDD+ interventions. The Mount Cameroon zone has rich biodiversity and fertile soil that attracts farmers (including migrants from other regions of Cameroon and Nigeria [Akombi 2011]) and agro-industrial companies such as Cameroon Development Corporation and Palm Oil Plantations Limited, placing high conversion pressure on forests. Among the challenges faced by the initiative are conflicting perceptions of land rights and forest ownership between the state and local communities.

Authors: Awono, A.; Tambe, A.A.; Owona, H.; Barreau, E.

Subjects: climate change

Publication type: Chapter-R, Publication

Year: 2014