urgence pour une stratégie planifiée contre les effets du changement climatique dans le grand nord du Cameroun

1. Urgency of a planned strategy against climate change in the North Cameroon
The Far North Cameroon has three regions with the Adamawa , North and Far North . These
three regions together account for about 40% of the total Cameroonian population. This part
of Cameroon belongs to the sudano-sahelian agro-ecological zone. According to some
cameroonians climatologists, it is one of high climatic risk areas in Cameroon.
The Region experienced a drought of unprecedented intensity in 2009 and 2011, then
regularly floods of extreme violence for some time. We could cited floods in 2010 and
recently that of 2014. The floods of 2014 have affected about 60 000 people and had cost
about 1.5 billion Fca to the Government. According to scientists, climate change that is
presently in African Sudano-Sahelian agro-ecological zone goes around the decade 1970-
1980 , marked by a significant drop in rainfall and increased evaporation ( Folefack et al ,
2012). However, the effects have begun to be felt in the area of cameroon around 1985.
Climate change that prevails in the far north Cameroon is a serious threat to food security and
the economy of the region. The continuing decline in rainfall and flooding consequences will
reduce already inadequate agricultural production to cover food needs of the area. Lower
productivity in ecosystems of the region will have a strong negative impact on cattle bredding
and finally on the contribution of this sector to the growth of the gross domestic product of
Cameroon , in fact, the North is the main area for livestoock in Cameroon . On the health
front frequent floods will promote proliferation and the resurgence of some diseases and
epidemics such as cholera, and malaria.
For now the government's response consisted of actions to mitigate the impact felt by the
affected people at the onset of a new flood. These populations thus receive various gifts of
food, basic necessities , blankets, sanitary products, various agricultural machinery to be
enable them to resume their activities , or to better withstand the negative effects of the
disaster.

2. We believe it is urgent for the Government to consider that the current events taking place in
the far north of Cameroon register as the consequences of climate change which the world is
currently facing. It seems that it is more urgent to develop and to implement to the far north
Cameroon region a strategy against climate change. The goal is to get a framework that
captures the issue of climate change in the Sudano-Sahelian region of Cameroon globally , to
consider actions more effective and efficient, unlike stocks piecemeal and to which the
government currently uses .
This strategic framework will among others consider the mitigation and adaptation or the
following :
-the Promotion of the development of biogas from cow dung by biodigesters . This objective
would be to reduce the pressure of population on the trees in the area for cooking meals and
promote recovery and development of forest ecosystems , and simultaneously enhance the
infiltration through the groundwater level ;
-The Valuation of wet biodigestat (bioslurry) that comes out from biodigesters in agriculture.
The biodigestat(bioslurry) is rich in organic matter and with advanced mineralization is richer
than cow dung . Its use as organic and mineral fertilizers would be very beneficial to the soils
of the region and would enhance the resilience of soils in the far north Cameroon to the
adverse effects of climate change on the soils of the region ;
-The Construction by the communities in the area of modern agricultural barns on suitable
sites in order to enable farmers to have available storage locations and appropriate
conservation of their crops to better face the challenges of food security in case of disaster ;
-The Implementation of the ambitious government programs greening of the Region. These
programs should involve every household, and local communities ;
-The Government should also take measures to popularize in the region also proven
techniques for improving water infiltration into cropland.
By Bertin TEUPA LACHIO