National climate observatory rates Cameroon’s carbon sequestration potential high.

The study which ran from 2010 to 2022, was conducted with the support of Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, MINEPDED. This was at the request of the Ministry of Finance, MINFI. 

The results were presented during a workshop held in Mbankomo, Centre Region. The workshop was held August 23. 

The workshop which brought together representatives of sectoral ministries, civil society organisations, development partners, and other stakeholders, was presided over by the NOCC Board Chair, Enoh Peter Ayuk. 

This was in the presence of its Director General, Prof Amougou Joseph Armathé

Speaking during the event, Prof Amougou said the general aim of the study was to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions and absorptions in the sector of Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use known as AFOLU, in the Sudano-Sahelian agro-ecological zones (North and Far North regions), the Guinea High Savannahs (Adamawa Region) and the Western Highlands (West and North West regions).

He then explained that the workshop was an opportunity to not only present the carbon footprint report for Cameroon’s AFOLU sector but also highlight the results of the first phase of the study, which consisted in carrying out the carbon footprint for the bimodal rainforest agroecological zones (Centre, South and East regions) and monomodal rainforest agroecological zones (Littoral and South West regions) for the same sector.

According to NOCC Director General, the results of phase 1 and phase 2, show that Cameroon is a carbon reservoir with an estimated total sequestration potential of over 4 million 93 thousand giga gramme of carbon dioxide equivalent, GgCO2eq.

Noting that this carbon footprint will be a decision-making tool based on a body of technical information that needs to be mastered within the framework of international negotiations, NOCC boss highlighted that it forms an essential basis for the mechanisms of climate finance and emissions trading in bilateral and multilateral programmes.

Enter NOCC Board Chair

While addressing the press, the Chairman of NOCC Board of Directors, Enoh Peter Ayuk, explained that the document was prepared by NOCC with the participation of all stakeholder ministries, partner organisations, NGOs and universities. 

“We hope that this status report will be useful to all those involved in climate related activities,” Enoh said. 

Quizzed on the relevance of the document, the Board Chair enlightened that the carbon status report for Cameroon can be used to trade in what he described as “carbon or economic shift in environmental management”. 

“This means that it can be use to pay debts, sell carbon credit to the international market or for the big polluters who produce emissions into the atmosphere by buy the carbon credit. Most importantly the country can do business in every form using its carbon balance,” he told the press. 

Some results obtained 
According to statistics from the NOCC study, in the Sudano-Sahelian zone (Far North and North regions), emissions are estimated at 19,604.82 GgCO2eq while absorptions are estimated at -578,648.89 GgCO2eq giving a carbon sequestration potential for the agroecological zone at -559,044.07 GgCO2eq.
In the Guinea High Savannah zone (Adamawa Region), the level emissions are estimated at 18,810.85 GgCO2eq and absorptions estimated at -596,457.29 GgCO2eq.

This gives a carbon sequestration potential of -577,646.44 GgCO2eq in the agroecological zone.

The Western Highlands zone produce an emissions level at 3,401.69 GgCO2eq with absorptions level at -316,457.42 GgCO2eq which amounts a carbon sequestration potential of -313,055.73 GgCO2eq. 

For the Monomodal rainforest zone (Littoral and South-West regions), the study showed emissions level at 29,770.68 GgCO2eq with absorptions rated at -345,316.32 GgCO2eq, representing a carbon sequestration potential of -315,545.64 GgCO2eq.
Lastly, the Bimodal rainforest zone (Centre, South and East regions) has an emission level estimated at 251,770.68 GgCO2eq with absorptions estimated at -2,579,827.4 GgCO2eq. This represents a carbon sequestration potential of -2,328,056.72 GgCO2eq in the agro-ecological zone.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3211 of Tuesday August 27, 2024