Cameroon

Key Statistics

Percentage of timber production estimated to be illegal: c. 65% iLawson, S (2014) Hoare, A (2015) Tackling illegal logging and the related trade: what progress and where next? (2015)
Forest Area: 18,790,400 ha ii Global Forest Watch Dashboard – Cameroon (2015)
Forest loss in 2020: 201,000 ha iii Chatham House, Forest Governance and Legality – Cameroon (2020)
Principal threats to forests: Industrial logging, palm oil and rubber plantation expansion, infrastructure development.

Country Background

Forests cover an estimated 42% of Cameroon’s territory, which serves as a key resource for millions of people, including numerous indigenous peoples. These communities face ongoing challenges from the logging industry, as well as emerging threats from the palm oil, rubber and extractive industries, along with the associated infrastructure development needed to serve them. Pervasive corruption has meant that improvement in forest governance has been slow.

Key Achievements

  • Suspension of illicit operations and seizure of illegal timber: Recent cases include the suspension of the SMK logging company in 2018 following ForestLink alerts and advocacy by ECODEV, as well as the suspension of two more the following year (SBAC and SFB) – along with the seizure of their wood – in response to ForestLink alerts sent from communities in the East of Cameroon.
  • Strengthening civil society as forest watchdog: FODER has played a central role in professionalising Cameroon’s independent forest monitoring system, which is ISO certified. ForestLink alerts are managed by FODER and are distributed amongst the members of the Normalised System of External Independent Monitoring (SNOIE), who go through a process of verifying alerts, validating monitoring reports, and following up with the MINFOF for sufficient enforcement actions to take place.
  • Increasing recognition from the Forest Ministry: In 2021, FODER signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MINFOF (the forest ministry), which has provided further legitimacy to their work and has ensured swifter follow-up to alerts. Because of this increased responsiveness, a ForestLink alert in the Mbam et Kim department by a government forestry agency in September 2021 led to a significant seizure of illegally cut timber.

Communities involved

43

Community monitors trained

126

Alerts received

Countries

ForestLink Start Date

2014

“If everyone (from communities to local MINFOF officials) adopts and agrees to use the ForestLink system, the app could make a huge difference to the alerts in the fight against illegal logging in the areas where it is active.”

A MINFOF official

"When the ForestLink project arrived in our community, there was growing illegality in our forests. We didn't even know our rights. The project taught us our rights but also our duties. As a duty, we are the guardians of the said forests.”

Dominique Samsui, village leader of Djendé 2, Cameroon

“I agreed to participate because it allows me to learn how to defend the community's rights for our community forest where we do not know anything and we do not see where the money goes.”

Rosalie Ndo (Community of Nkonmkak, Cameroon)

“SNOIE has changed the way independent forest monitoring is done in Cameroon, and ForestLink real-time monitoring contributes to this process.”

Christiane Zebaze Hellow,
Real-Time Monitoring Coordinator, FODER

" With the ForestLink system, I know that using just a mobile phone I can record an illegality anywhere in the forest. With this project I think the community will really see a change... We're not just doing it for ourselves, we're doing it for our children too. "

Longine, community monitor, Cameroon

" With the ForestLink system, I know that using just a mobile phone I can record an illegality anywhere in the forest. With this project I think the community will really see a change... We're not just doing it for ourselves, we're doing it for our children too. "

Longine, community monitor, Cameroon

Partners