Pierre Hele, Minister of Environment since 2004, names Cameroon’s involvement in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN Convention on Biodiversity, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the Rotterdam Convention, among others.
“Cameroon has ratified many conventions in order to express its permanent concern to ensure a healthy environment for Cameroonians,” he says, adding that the preamble of his country’s constitution even states that every Cameroonian has the right to a good environment.
Climate change is one of the global issues that the Ministry finds most pressing, as the northern part of the country is witness to the effects of desertification. Following the Copenhagen and Cancun conventions, Cameroon is working on two specific projects in this area. Firstly, along with some 20 other countries, Cameroon is a beneficiary of a programme on adaptation to climate change, financed by the Japanese government and the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Fund. Along these lines, President Biya has created the National Observatory of Climate Change, which aims to monitor the effects of climate change on the population, agriculture and ecosystems.
Secondly, Cameroon is involved in the Reduction of Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), a UN pilot programme that works to reduce carbon emissions among developing countries with strong forestry sectors.
Due to the importance of the environment to Cameroon – 70 per cent of the population relies on natural resources – the Ministry of Environment is serving as a lever not only for social challenges but also for political issues and ultimately, the nation’s economic growth.
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