The North West
Region is made up of undulating hills which host many spring sources some of
the spring sources has been constructed and water connected to communities
within the landscape.
The spring sources or water catchment areas keep on degrading due to exposure to unsustainable exploitation by
villagers for livelihood and the search of farmlands for the cultivation of
food crops as one of the option to supplement
already low incomes. The exposure of these protected areas has left most of the
spring sources contaminated with chemicals and other stuffs leading to the dry
up, this has been some of the reason why water borne deseases especially
cholera which has hited some parts of Cameroon in the past two years and again
this year in the Northen part of Cameroon.
Some
Civil societies and NGOs has taken the challenge to educate communities and
assist them in the protection of these spring sources.
Forest
and Agroforestry Promoters (FAP NGO Cameroon) is a Ndop based NGO promoting the
conservation of watercatchment areas in Ndop and the Bamenda Highlands Region
of Cameroon, through
the financial support from New England Biolabs foundation, the
communities were able to plant 10,000
threatened and indigenous tree species in 4 water catchment protected areas in
2 villages (Bamessing and Bamali) in Ndop Ngoketunjia Division of the Bamenda
Highlands of Cameroon
The main objective of
this project is to protect and conserve 50 hectares of watershed/watercathment.
The aim of this project is biodiversity conservation in the Bamenda Highlands
Region in Cameroon through the planting of 10,000 threatened and indigenous
tree species in 5 water catchment protected
areas. It is expected that 10 hectares of land will be
planted within the project and about 50 hectares of land will be conserve and
protected as a result of this project.
The long term
benefits of the project are climate change mitigation, increase in vegetation
cover and habitats for wildlife, reduce encroachment by farmers into water
catchment areas, provision of portable water to communities and the creation of
seed banks for indigenous and threatened species.
The project has as co funders International Analog Forestry
Network on the establishment of Analog Demonstration site in Bamessing Ndop.
The coordinator FAP Mr Jaff Francis told the news paper that
he is satisfied with participation of the different communities in tree
planting, fencing and fire tracing the planted areas and he will not relent his
effort in supporting such initiatives if the communities show interest in
contributing physically in planting of trees, fencing and fire tracing.
The secatary General of Bamessing Development Union equally
thanked FAP for the gesture and pleaded for more support in tree seedlings and
training on bee keeping.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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