Did you know our every day actions are significantly contributing to Desertification? World Day to Combat Desertification #2018WDCD

Mismanagement of land, unplanned urban development, food loss and waste contribute to the depletion of resources on a major scale, including water, land, energy, labour and capital, and at the same time produce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change. How we produce, consume, live and travel has an impact on land resources.

The 2018 World Day to Combat Desertification (#2018WDCD) urges you to move away from unsustainable land use and make a difference by investing in the future of land under the slogan, “Land has true value – invest in it.”

In the North West Region of Cameroon, the day was commemorated at the Nkwenti Environmental Protection Foundation (NEPROF), presided by the Regional Delegate of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (RD-MINEPDED) and attended by representatives of 08 Environmental organizations (The Greens, CEPOW, OIPA, NEPROF, HELPA, YOFA, Kedjom-keku CASUD and the Regional Delegation of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (RD-MINEPDED)) and environmental activists of the North West Region.

The event started with self introduction and a word of welcome from Peter Tebit Chi (Mark chi), Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NEPROF. In his welcome word, he called on effective collaboration and the building of a strong partnership among the civil society organizations to tackle the different environmental challenges of the North West Region.

Ebai Maurice (Regional Chief of Information, Sensitization and Documentation of RD-MINEPDED)
His word of welcome was followed by a presentation of the theme of World Day to Combat Desertification by the Regional Chief of Information, Sensitization and Documentation of the Regional Delegation of Environment, Protection and Sustainable Development who called on all to think about the real value of land. Not just its economic value and said Land is worth so much more than its economic value and defines our way of life and our culture.

Ngalim Franklin - Mr. Green, Founder/Executive Director of The Greens
Mr. Green then opened the round table discussion wherein the stakeholders deliberated and concluded that the following activities were accelerating land degradation and desertification in the North West Region;

1. Sand mining in Mbatu and Chomba village.
   
   The top of the hill in the picture above has been mined for sand and this process has greatly accelerating deforestation, land degradation, landslides and desertification in the aforementioned villages.
2. Soil erosion as a result of local or subsistence agriculture
3. Over grazing in the Bamenda Highlands. This they acknowledged is not only accelerating deforestation, land degradation but also greatly contributing to the green house gas emissions and conflict in the region.
4. Poor waste management and most especially plastic pollution in the region,.
5. Oil spills from motor mechanic garages
6. Deforestation for pasture, fuel wood, agriculture and for construction.
7. Over use of natural resources such as land
8. Over population and urbanization
9. Poor town planning in the city of Bamenda.
10. Weak implementation of environmental/land laws and policies
11. Inadequate environmental education and very little environmental sensitization in the North West Region
12. Unsustainable agricultural practices such as slash and burn farming, the use of fertilizers, etc.
13. Land grabbing wherein to prove ownership of vast land, people clear it down or burn it.

They also discussed about how Desertification is manifesting itself in the North West Region and some of the visible manifestations of land degradation in the region include;

• Landslides
• Drought with a typical example being the prolonged dry season.
• Increase in temperatures and increase in the dryness of the land. For four that we have had rains (rainy season), the land is still very dry and there is a lot of dust. Besides, Bamenda which used to be a very cold place is now very hot and most especially during the night. It rains but places are still very hot.
• Species extinction with typical examples being the constant decline in the number of species such as the Bannerman’s turaco and the disappearance of raffia palm bushes.
• Flooding.
• Decline in agricultural productivity
• Decrease in forest and vegetation cover
• Increase in the use of chemical fertilizers in farms because the land is very degraded and this explains why farmers use more fertilizers than ever.
• More invasive tree species in Bamenda than indigenous tree species and this has created a lot ecological imbalance and drought in Bamenda.
• Pollution. The once cleanest city (Bamenda) in the entire Cameroon is now ranked one of the dirtiest regions. There is an increase in air, land and water pollution and this justifies why Bamenda was ranked the 8th most polluted city (PM 2.5) in the world by WHO.
• Increase in diseases such as cough, dryness of the skin, catarrh, etc

To tackle the aforementioned challenges, the organizations during their discussion made the following proposals;

• Government should reduce the price of cooking gas as a means to reduce deforestation fuel wood in the North West Region
• Promote local consumption and production in the region
• Inclusive approach in environmental decision making and the implementation of all projects and programs. The government should use the grassroots or bottom-top approach in handling environmental issues.
• Promotion of a green economy in the region wherein businesses and schools will digitalize most of their products and services.
• Reduce beef production and consumption as well as promote vegetarianism
• Improve environmental education and sensitization campaigns
• The electricity supply company, ENEO should promote the use of metallic poles for electricity transmission and avoid using the invasive eucalyptus trees which are sucking our water catchments dry and destabilizing our ecosystems.
• Fortify the implementation of environmental laws using every tool such as media, law enforcement etc.
• Promote organic farming
• Encourage sustainable land use practices
• Etc
  

#2018 WDCD

The deliberations were followed by a presentation of the plan of action for World Day to Combat Desertification at Mankon village on Monday 18th June 2018.
The team agreed to leave for Mankon on Monday 18th June 2018 at 08:00AM where they will visit the Fon of Mankon and join the Fon and the people of Mankon to plant 1000 Trees in the Mankon Palace forest.
After the tree planting at the palace forest, the team will leave for Mwasu Quarter where they will train the Mwasu Water Management Committee in Water Catchment Protection and Community Tree Nursery Design, Construction and Management. The trainings will be followed by the establishment of Mwasu Community Tree Nursery and the planting of 500 Trees in 03 Water Catchments in Mwasu Quarter.
The event will close with a football for nature game and refreshment at the Quarter Head’s compound.

While waiting for more updates, these are 10 benefits we will get if we achieve land degradation neutrality.

Happy World Day to Combat Desertification.