Illegally Logged Wood Inside The Forest
The Forest Protection Project aims at preventing illegal logging and associated activities in the Manyu and Ndian Divisions of the South West region of Cameroon.
Initial stages of the project focus on intelligence gathering, intervention operations and conducting educational trainings in effected communities. In partnership with the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), Pandrillus, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Forest Management Unit (FMU), AADA hopes to protect and conserve the rich biodiversity through the sustainable management of Cameroon’s natural resources.
Illegal logging continues to plague Cameroon for several key reasons:
- Insufficient governmental control and consequences for illegal actions.
- Limited enforcement of current regulations and laws
- Lack of monitoring for proper documents and certification
- Unsustainable clear cutting of land
- Unhealthy demand of resource by domestic and international markets
- Insufficient infrastructure between the communities and to the rest of the country
- Low living standard because of the lack of agricultural support.
Currently, no statistics exist on the exact number of acres lost to unsustainable timbering, however both local and international organizations have documented a marked increase in deforestation across the country’s national parks, reserves and rainforests.
The growing demand for timber from neighboring Nigeria has directly resulted in a depleted wildlife population, mudslides, deforestation and an increase in corruption and illegal activities. 90% of Nigeria’s forests have been cut down and the country has turned to Cameroon to fulfill its timber needs.
