Overview of Human Wildlife Conflict Management in Cameroon

Linking Great Ape Conservation with Poverty Alleviation

Indonesia

11-15 January 2012

Antoine Justin Eyebe

CARPE/FGLG - Cameroon

• Typology of HWC

• Agricultural sector

• Conflicts origin

• Problems related to Human-Wildlife Conflict Management

• Proposed solutions to improving HWC and Great Ape conservation

• Opportunities for improving HWC management in Cameroon

Presentation Outline

• Crop destruction

• Attacks on domestic animals and human

• Stream spattered with mud

• Zoonotic Disease transmission from animal to human

Typology of HWC

© Photo Endamana D.2007

• Agricultural sector 13.6% of GDP

• 2 planting seasons

• Low productivity in lowland

• Importance use of fertilizer

• Common practice is slash and burn

• Importation of several commodities; rice +300000 tons yearly.

Agricultural sector

Total area of crops destroyed by elephants in five regions of Cameroon

Data from Tiebou 2008

HWC origin

• Forest degradation persists in the area as a result of slash and burn agriculture, expanded agro industry areas,

• Subsistence and commercial hunting

• Inappropriate or non updated land use planning in the past.

• Unrealistic expansion of PAs

© Photo Intu.2008

Problems related to Human-Wildlife Conflict Management

• Poor legal and regulatory provisions for HWC in Cameroon,

• Weak implication of local communities to prospect solutions

• No clear approach for compensation scheme

• Weak institutional coordination

Proposed solutions to improving HWC management and Great Ape conservation • Increase community

participation in finding solutions to HWC

• Improve the legal framework in terms of HWC compensation and law enforcement

• Increase community participation in land use planning and environmental education

• Move toward dynamic LUP

• Increase community benefits in PAs

© Photo Intu.2008

Opportunities for improving HWC and Great Ape conservation in Cameroon

• Ongoing revision of forestry code since 2009

• Institutional enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection

• Use the REDD+ initiatives as an opportunity to reduce HWC

• Integration of people centered approach into conservation programs/projects

• CARPE’s contribution in land use planning/land use zoning in the Tridom and trinational forest landscapes

Opportunities for improving HWC and Great Ape conservation in Cameroon

(continue)

• Functional gorilla sanctuary

• New projects with Great Ape conservation consideration (Lom Pangar dam)

• “Preamption” right devoted to local communities

• Promising management of community hunting zones

• New initiatives to reduce conflict between stakeholders

Promising management of community hunting zones in SE Cameroon

If you are this women and you got your

farm destroyed like this by an endanger

specie, what will you do? © Photo Jules Etoga D.2009