FAO engages stakeholders to restore degraded lands, forest landscapes….

Focus was to shape a project on sustainable land management, biodiversity and resilient livelihoods.

The meeting markeed the beginning of the preparatory phase of a project dubbed: “Integrated landscape management, sustainable biodiversity use and drought resilience in the North and Far North Regions of Cameroon”. 

The Technical Adviser No.2 at the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, Dr. Haman Unusa, chaired the opening on behalf of Minister Hélé Pierre. 

Also in attendance were the national operational focal point of the Global Environment Facility, the national project director, representatives of government ministries and councils, civil society organisations, the private sector, research institutions, and technical and financial partners.

The FAO said the project aims to promote integrated landscape management approaches that restore degraded ecosystems, strengthen resilience to drought, support the sustainable use of biodiversity and improve livelihoods in vulnerable communities across the target regions.

Attention, they added, will be given to women, young people, indigenous peoples and local communities, while ensuring environmental and social safeguards and inclusive participation processes. 

The preparatory phase will include technical studies, stakeholder consultations, and the refinement of the project design.

It also touches on its theory of change, results framework, implementation arrangements and financing opportunities. It was also an opportunity to review existing initiatives, lessons learned and good practices in ecosystem restoration.

We must act now – MINEPDED

Opening the workshop, Dr Haman Unusa said natural resources are increasingly facing severe pressure, despite the environment’s rich potential.

He added that in the Sudan-Sahelian zones, desertification and land degradation of forest landscapes is characterized by a diminished capacity of vegetation cover to provide goods and services.

The vulnerability, he added, is particularly evident among rural populations, where the consequences include reduced crop yields and a negative impact on living standards and incomes.

He further stressed the need to address the challenges of desertification, land degradation, and forest cover loss, which he said, has “long become a concern for the Cameroonian government”. 

The project, Dr Haman Unusa said, will be crucial in restoring degraded lands and forest landscapes as well as contribute to the fight against Climate change in the country.

He also underscored the huge benefits of the project, noting that it seeks to support Cameroon’s commitment to restoring 12 million hectares of degraded land and landscapes under the AFR100 initiative. 

He said it will also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas, GHG, emissions by 35% by 2030.

“We must act now to achieve results by 2030 and live in harmony with nature by 2050,” he said. 

Enter FAO representative

Speaking earlier, the representative of the Director General of the FAO, Fidele Nkengni, said the forthcoming project is situated within an environmental and socio-economic context characterized by major challenges in the North and Far North regions of Cameroon.

According to Nkengni, the areas face progressive land degradation, increasing pressure on natural resources, biodiversity loss, recurring droughts and floods, and socio-economic vulnerabilities that directly affect the livelihoods of rural populations.

These phenomena, he stated, does not only undermine the productivity of agricultural and pastoral systems but also weaken the resilience of communities and the stability of the landscapes upon which their development depends.

Nkengni said in response to these challenges, the government of Cameroon is committed to restoring degraded landscapes, promoting sustainable land management, and preserving biodiversity.

“…the project we are preparing today constitutes an important contribution to this national ambition. It will help strengthen investments in ecological restoration, promote sustainable natural resource management practices, enhance value chains linked to non-timber forest products and bamboo, and improve community resilience to climate-related risks, particularly drought,” Nkengni said.

He lauded the government for the trust in FAO to support national priorities related to sustainable natural resource management, combating land degradation, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation.

Nkengni also thanked the Global Environment Facility, GEF, for its continued support in helping Cameroon fulfill its international environmental commitments, as well as in promoting innovative solutions that reconcile ecosystem conservation with sustainable development.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3860 of Monday July 27, 2026