Co-creation of innovative forest resources management combining ecological methods and indigenous knowledge

In 2017 this project was initiated as a five-year SATREPS project. It was implemented in the forests of the East Region of Cameroon.
Some 40% of Cameroon’s land area is covered in forest, inhabited by rare and endangered mammals such as the gorilla, the chimpanzee and the African forest elephant. This habitat is under threat, however, as people living nearby the national parks of this west-central African country depend on forest resources for food, fuel and medicine. Moreover, as the nation’s population grows, encroachment of farmland is causing forests to shrink and deteriorate and introducing problems such as poaching. A vital issue for the East Region is the formation of a sustainable wildlife management plan with the cooperation of government and residents.
This project supported the preparation of a roadmap, focused on regional residents, for sustainable use of wild animals and forest products such as wood-free paper. By persuading regional residents to be proactive and take charge of the roadmap, the project aimed to contribute to strengthening the sustainable use of these products.