Forests, Resources and People

The Bimbia Bonadikombo Community Forest is at the foothills of Mount Cameroon and is one of the last remnants of lowland forest between the urban centers of Limbe and Douala. It faces high human pressure leading to massive deforestation through increasing plantation expansion, charcoal production, wood exploitation and other artisanal farming.

This forest covers the entire eastern part of the city of Limbe and it is characterized by a hilly topography. The effect of its deforestation is taking a great and negative toll on surrounding communities like Mabeta new layout. Landslides and floods are increasing hazards as a result of exposed and loose soils from the hilly slopes. Over the years, there has been increasing temperature - even with its seaside location, the high temperatures and scorching heat are becoming unbearable.

The Pan African Centre for Climate (PACC) Policy's goal is engaging school children and local community members for sustainable landscape restoration in the Mabeta new layout community around the Bimbia Bonadikombo Community Forest.

This will include:

• Building the capacity of 110 kids as climate ambassadors, blending our existing PACCPOLICY climate manual and CAI creative art tools
• Engaging school children and their parents through a creative landscape restoration arts parade using seedlings from existing FOREP nursery
• Organize a field trip for school children to a refinery or a recycling company so they can have a practical observation of how climate change is caused

The Pan African Centre for Climate (PACC) Policy was formed based on the policy direction of COP21. PACC Policy believes that the Paris agreement will be met only when strong networks and organizations come together. They work to leverage expertise in climate issues and passion to drive the implementation of the Paris agreement through research and development, partnership, advocacy building and orientation, good governance, and social accountability.

PACC Policy is working with community-based organizations, government and non-governmental organizations, private practitioners, environmental rights groups and individual planners to prioritize and plan for adaptive measures and interventions within an international framework. This multi-sectoral approach lies on the premise that climate change affects all sectors (health, tourism and development, gender and culture, housing, agro ecological, town and country planning).