TITLE:
Patterns and Challenges of Forest Resources Conservation in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Mukete Beckline, Abdul Manan, Ngwesse Dominic, Ngoe Mukete, Yang Hu
KEYWORDS:
Forest Management, Poverty Alleviation, Forest Conservation, Rural Livelihoods, Tropical Forests, Cameroon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.5,
May
19,
2022
ABSTRACT: This paper examines forest conservation dynamics and the ensuing challenges encountered in Cameroon. It assesses forest resources and identifies forest conservation patterns and the various challenges faced by these initiatives. To attain this objective, a broad review of published literature was performed using Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar, Research gate and Web of Science. The study observed that, despite various management practices, enormous challenges still exist which give rise to forest loss at an alarming rate. This is primarily as a result of unsustainable agricultural activities, logging, and urbanization (settlement expansion). Similarly, this study also found the underlying causes of forest loss to include inadequate land for farming, limited access to forest resources, lack of alternative sources of livelihood as well as the increasing value of Non-Timber Forest Products. This study concluded that, forest management can effectively respond to the threats emerging from forest loss through adequate and proper finance, cooperation and support from law enforcement and involvement of local communities in forest management plans.