By TANDONG Calistus JONG
INTRODUCTION
Impact of climate change on farming in Cameroon rural areas constitutes a major challenge
especially to small scale farmers who constitute the poor and vulnerable group. The changes
have led to reactive and autonomous adaptive measures such as planting early yielding varieties
of crops, planting along banks of rivers and crop substitution. Whilst planting along banks of
rivers has environmental implications, crop substitution has income implication because profits
would be short term instead of long term from tree crops which are annual and last for few years.
The sustainable use of land and environmental resources is an issue of major concern for the
government of Cameroon .In the past, agricultural approaches used to employ high external inputs
such as equipment and infrastructures, neglecting the blending of indigenous knowledge.
This inevitably leads to the numerous lope holes found in many developments oriented projects.
The process of poor people lifting themselves out of poverty using agriculture in the Wabane sub
division has not been smooth, because of lack of access to
information, absence of farm to market roads; Poor farming practices and Out-dated agricultural
techniques. Therefore, there is urgent need for Sustainable Farming and climate change
education in Cameroon’s rural communities.
The services of NGOs, Government bodies, academic and research institutions in order to meet
up with demand in small-scale agriculture and climate change are imperative.
Small-scale farmers in Wabane sub division continuously adapt their practices to modern
innovation and local knowhow as a result of their observations, collaboration and experimental
activities which all contribute to their body of knowledge. Researchers argue that the generation
of knowledge is a process which is, and needs to be ongoing, and that further steps also need to
be taken to exchange, make the knowledge available to all, and most importantly, to act on this
knowledge in Wabane sub division. Climatic variations and changes are serious affecting the
small scale farmers of the Wabane sub division. The seriousness of this threat can be noted in the
rate of environmental degradation, socio-economy and livelihood of marginalized farmers of the
Cameroon’s rural areas. Current natural and environmental occurrences such as Landslides, low
agricultural productivity and floods can be attributed to climate change. All those involved with
the development and daily implementation of climate change and agricultural endeavours in
Wabane sub division are continuously seeking new and better ways to improve farm production
and livelihoods. Research has a lot to contribute to agricultural development in Wabane sub
division: farmers are eager to learn new options and solutions to their problems, but in many
cases do not have information about or access to them. For research to contribute to climate
change, poverty reduction and guarantee livelihood security in Wabane sub division, the
emphasis must be on the application of appropriate knowledge, rather than merely developing it.
In Wabane sub division today, small-scale farming has evolved faster than ever, the competition
for resources is increasing and local adaption is not enough to keep pace with these changes. In
these situations, there is a need to constantly improve on the knowledge of these communities,
gain access to new information and use these to adapt to local conditions, and deal with the
changing world. By broadening the availability of knowledge and empowering the Wabane
communities to participate in their development, small-scale farmers will benefit through having
options and information available, which will empower them to ask the right questions, make
sound decisions and create and develop their own pool of knowledge. The present paper aims to
discuss climate change innovations and practices, with more emphasis on the possibility of their
integration in small-scale farming geared toward sustainable and participatory development in
the Wabane sub division. Even though there are general difficulties with the word “innovation”,
but the results may be surprising.
Geography
Wabane Sub Division, Lebialem Division of the South West Region of Cameroon, with an
estimated population of 80.000 inhabitants. It is situated between latitudes 50 11” and 50 45” and
longitudes 90 50” and 100 00” with altitudinal range of 180m-2550m with an annual rainfall of
2000mm-3000mm.
OBSERVATION
In Wabane sub division, there is still a gap between accepted theory and current practices.
Although there have been improvements in roads networks, communications and infrastructure
Wabane sub
Division
faced by small-scale farmers but it difficulties in relation to research priorities, access to
information, knowledge generation, validation and sharing is shill pending.
Effective research and development approaches for low external input agriculture in Wabane sub
division should be based on effective use of indigenous knowledge, optimal use of local
resources, linking and working together as organisations in order to access other resources and
types of knowledge.
In practice, there are still many difficulties and gaps, especially when considering the complex
relationships between all the developmental actors involved in research and development
processes in Wabane sub division. This shows that participation can be a complex issue, but that
it is essential at many levels and stages in the development and scaling up process in Wabane sub
division. I believe that farmer’s innovation needs to be basic cornerstone of any research and
extension system. But how do we go on from here? How can knowledge be built in this context?
That is now the challenge, and the one that we are committed to struggle with.
Deforestation and forest clearing for agriculture in Wabane sub division.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Some environmental problems identified by the inhabitants of these communities include but not
united to:
1) Constant erosion of the top fertile soil resulting from inappropriate farming methods.
2) Landslides - Due to its hilly topography Wabane sub division has for the past years been
affected by landslides during the raining reasons. The most devastating being that of 2003
in which serious losses were incurred both in human and material resources.
3) Increasing soil infertility, which has led to a considerable drop in harvest as compared to
the previous years in Wabane sub division, As a result which the people have to trek for
several kilometer to enable them acquire fertile land to cultivate.
The People of Banteng trying to reconstruct a local bridge over river Massan after the former was carried away
by landslide.
The small-scale farmers in Bamumbu village with their local baskets on their way to harvest food crop from
their far-distant farms (estimated to be about 20 kilo meters)
Most areas in Wabane sub division have always experienced climate change, and farmers have
not been coping up with the degree of uncertainty climate change. Detailed observations reveal
that, many of the effects attributed to climate change is a fact result of deforestation or soil
erosion, or take place because most people in Wabane sub division live in disaster-prone areas.
But there is no doubt that farmers are facing changes with rainfall and temperature. This is
already having a very strong impact, but however farmers perceive and deal with these changes
‘While climate change is a global phenomenon’, those living in Wabane tropics areas face
greater risks. This is mainly due to changes in land use patterns: intensified agriculture, coupled
with deforestation, soil degradation and erosion. It is expected that climate change will further
accelerate the ongoing degradation processes, in many cases leading to a complete collapse in
Wabane. Sustainable agriculture practices can help soils retain higher quantities of water for
example, help withstand periods of drought. Most small-scale farmers have to deal with
insufficient resources, and many are trying to grow crops in soils which are less fertile, or deal
with recurrent pests and diseases. Deforestation and soil erosion result in considerable quantities
of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, complemented by the production and use
of fertilizers. At the same time, farmers can help sequester carbon by restoring the natural
vegetation where this is possible, avoiding deforestation and efficiently managing their soils.
Most important is that all these efforts have many additional advantages, reflecting a truly winwin
situation.
Some proposed remedies are:
1) The practice of contour ploughing especially in farms that is along the slopes to prevent
soil erosion.
2) Re-forestation i.e. encouraged the planting of useful local species of trees. For example,
cola-nut, bamboo, cypress, mango, palm orange, apple and guava trees etc. As a measure
against erosion and landslides.
3) Should be advice to avoid construction of houses and other infrastructure along
riverbanks, and on marshy areas.
CONCLUSION
Adapting climate change in Small-scale agricultural Knowledge is a critical factor for sustainable
development in Wabane. Empowerment of local communities is a prerequisite for the integration
of small-scale farming in the development process. The integration of appropriate small-scale
farming systems into development programs has already proved to contribute to efficiency,
effectiveness and sustainable development impact. And there is obviously a gap between the
experts and the smallholder farmers in Wabane. We need to observe more closely what farmers
are doing in developing their own innovations in climate change, and what type of information
they seek from others to continue their own process of agricultural development. This requires
major investment in both management and infrastructural development. Cameroon needs to work
internally and with international partners to address these issues so that small-scale agriculture
can reach their full potential in contributing to the country’s development.
RECOMMENDATIONS
a) Government should empower these small-scale farmers on natural resource
Management and climate change.
b) A need for refresher courses for small-scale farmers on climate change and new
agricultural techniques and financial empowerment.
c) A need for farm to market roads, electrification and good communication networks.
d) There is a need for more collaboration involving international bodies, academic and
research institutions in order to cope up with demand in terms of technical expertise and
finance.
e) Encourage the use of fertilizers, practice of crop rotation and the use of local manure like
animal dungs as a measure against soil infertility.
f) Small-scale farmers should be encouraged to form local small groups through which they
can share experiences and cooperate with other groups both nationally and
internationally.
g) Should be encouraged to practice sustainable agriculture as well as inform them of
existing market situations of various crops like large-scale production and yielding crops.
h) Agro forestry should be promoted in Wabane sub division in order to fight deforestation
and climate change.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to the Wabane communities and local authorities for their facilitation in the field
survey.
Contact Information
tandongcalistus@yahoo.com
