Abong Mbang: AWF urges stakeholders to communicate, collaborate to ensure sustainable conservation.

This was at the close of the Forum for Actors of the Dja Biosphere Reserve. The two-day gathering, which held from December 3 to 4, took place in Abong Mbang, Upper Nyong Division of the East Region.

The forum brought together stakeholders of the Dja Biosphere reserve areas, financial and technical partners as well as officials of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife. 

The aim of the gathering was to strengthen synergy of actions and raise awareness on the issues faced in the Dja Reserve. Akenji stated that the forum was to ensure collaboration and help enrich other initiatives of the Dja Reserve.

Akenji disclosed that AWF is one of the key actors that is supporting the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife to deliver conservation in the Dja Forest Reserve. 

He further added that the forum was to improve governance among stakeholders. He stressed that one of the outcomes of the forum is to be able to have a synergy of action between stakeholders who are contributing to the conservation objective and conservation outcome of the reserve”.

“There are many stakeholders intervening in the reserve. However, if their actions are not capitalised, if there is no collaboration, if there is no synergy, it becomes challenging to have one call for conservation to protect the reserve,” Akenji said, while underscoring the need for stakeholders to communicate, collaborate and share information.

“These are key major gaps that are affecting the management of the reserve, whereas all our actions contribute to the same goal to ensure that the area is protected in a sustainable way,” he added.

Recounts AWF’s efforts in protected areas

The Landscape Manager disclosed that AWF has remained steadfast in accompanying the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife to ensure protection and take other actions in terms of working with the gendarmerie and State Counsel, who handles poaching-related cases. 

He said AWF works with other stakeholders to be able to have other concrete discussions with them to be able to support actions that will fight against criminality and poaching in the protected areas.

“We are trying to support with the conservation because the aspect of illegal possession of arms has to do with some form of security, which is why actors like the Divisional Officer and the Gendarmerie Brigade Commander were invited to the forum to discuss on specific actions of conservation,” Akenji said. 

Success recorded so far 

Speaking to the press, Akenji revealed that AWF, has so far recorded huge successes in maintaining ecological integrity of the protected areas and changing community livelihoods. He said they have supported communities with skills and how to farm other products.

“We have also tried to stabilise the population on key wildlife such as elephants, gorillas and chimpanzees, transferring of competent skills, especially to the indigenous people and the eco-guards in these protected areas,” Akenji told journalists. 

He noted that “one big successes we are promoting is ensuring the rights of indigenous people and local communities, which are being respected through our rights-based conservation approach being implemented in the landscape”.

He added that for the past two years during which the rights-based conservation approach has been implemented, they have not had cases of human rights violation, which is at the centre of AWF actions.

Beneficiary lauds AWF actions 

Present at the forum was one of the beneficiaries of AWF skills training, Sere Clautilde, who disclosed that since the coming of AWF in their communities, she has been able to earn her own money and still respect the protected area.

“AWF has trained and taught us to produce washing soap, which we now use as a source of income,” Sere said.

“In the Dja reserve, there are many women who work with us in the production of this soap and when we have produced a lot of kilogrammes of soap, AWF brings us buyers who come and buy our products and we also take some to the market and sell,” she added.

About Africa Wildlife Foundation

Africa Wildlife Foundation is a nongovernmental organisation that supports the government in managing wildlife and wildlife habitats in some African countries, including Cameroon.

Present in Cameroon since 2015, the foundation currently supports three protected areas; Faro National Park, Dja Faunal Reserve and the Campo Ma'an National Park.

In these areas, the foundation has carried out projects like addressing conflict over natural resources, developing park infrastructure, monitoring wildlife, creating alternative livelihood for the people, strengthening wildlife protection, providing technical support, enhancing cocoa-based agriculture and implementing other methods to reduce hunting of animals in the forest.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3317 of Wednesday December 11, 2024