Publications

• ENVIRONMENTAL DEMOCRACY IN CAMEROON
• SIMPLIFIED COMMUNICATION GUIDE ON CLIMATE CHANGE FOR MPs AND MAYORS IN CAMEROON
• ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: GUIDE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

For Parliamentarians and Councillors in Cameroon

Introduction

Climate change is the constant increase in atmospheric temperature (global warming) with associated changes in other weather conditions such as rainfall patterns, and wind conditions. It is defined as a statistical significant variation in either the mean state of the climate or in its variability persisting for an extended period typically decades or longer.

Climate variability on the other hand is limited to the natural climatic changes at localities, within a region or a continent on a daily, seasonal or annual basis. Global warming is an intensification of the Earth's greenhouse effect whereby the temperature of the Earth which has remained relatively stable for over 1, 000 years, has over the past 100 years, risen by nearly 0.5 degrees Celsius (Figure 1) thereby causing climate change. Based on present trends, global temperature could increase to 2 to 5 0C by the end of this century.

Since 1992, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognized the vulnerability of developing countries to this phenomenon and their right to economic development. It also recognized the obligation of developed countries to contribute in reducing the causes of climate change as well as strengthen the fight against its adverse effects, support economic and social development, and eradicate poverty especially in the poorer countries. Regrettably, the legislative arms, opinion leaders, other representatives of the communities in developing countries may not be quite conversant with the actual causes of climate change, its trends, global and local impacts, and ongoing strategies to cope with it. The position of Cameroon in Africa with its great length from south to north, varied relief and diversity of climate, soils, and natural vegetation, makes the country suitable for assessing the variation of climate change and its impacts on the continent. It has indeed been established that the varied ecological zones of Cameroon are affected by this phenomenon differently.

This therefore necessitates the sensitisation of the population within each region by training their representatives (parliamentarians and councillors) in policy making institutions across the country on mitigation and adaptation approaches towards the phenomenon as well as incorporating future scenarios into developmental projects.

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