Problem
The Kilum-Ijim Forest in north-western Cameroon is a biodiversity-rich area and an important source of water, medicinal plants, and food for most of the population that surrounds it. The forest also plays an important role in local tradition and culture. However, Kilum-Ijim Forest has been ravaged by wildfires for years, destroying biodiversity and affecting the livelihoods of local communities. The forests are threatened by agricultural encroachment and unsustainable agricultural practices such as ‘slash-and-burn’, which consists of burning down parts of nature for farms. With climate change and extreme weather events, these methods further change soil properties, degrade and shift vegetation, and reduce tree regeneration. In 2012, around 7 wildfire incidents were recorded to have occurred in Kilum-Ijim.
On top of forest degradation, the indigenous communities in Kilum-Ijim forest also face a pressing gender inequality issue. Women are often excluded from decision-making processes and forest management activities. On top of that, women and youth suffer the most from poverty and unemployment, especially since household labour is not economically valued.
Responses
CAMGEW tries to overcome this challenge by empowering local communities, particularly women, through reforestation, agroforestry, and social entrepreneurship. By introducing a wide variety of crops with different uses and crop cycles, the farmers are less inclined to abandon old farms and resort to forest-burning methods to open more new lands. CAMGEW also engages ethnic women in reforestation and organic farming, which addresses soil erosion and forest fire challenges while integrating women into forest management. Through participatory approaches, local stakeholders, including bee farmers, herbalists, and firewood gatherers, actively monitor and regenerate degraded forest areas, contributing to biodiversity conservation. CAMGEW strengthens community resilience by organizing farmers into groups, providing training in agroforestry, crop production, pest management, marketing, and quality control, and promoting techniques like grafting and paddocks, as well as establishing local cooperatives for farmers to improve market access. By 2018, the number of wildfires was reduced to 0.
As of December 2022, CAMGEW has reportedly planted and maintained 115,899 native trees since 2012, trained over 3,000 individuals in agroforestry, and supported 50,000 women with education in forest conservation. Initiatives like training 1,600 women in bee farming and founding honey cooperatives and MSMEs producing diverse goods have reportedly enabled women to control the value chain, transforming gender dynamics and boosting economic independence in local communities. These efforts seek to help improve community livelihood while fighting climate change through the preservation of the forest as a carbon sink.